HCW Biologics Inc. (NASDAQ:HCWB) announced new research published in Science Advances indicating that its compound HCW9206 may improve the production of CAR-T cell therapies. The study was carried out by scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine under the direction of Harris Goldstein.
According to the research, HCW9206—a multi-cytokine fusion protein—enabled the generation of CAR-T cells with stronger functionality compared with traditional manufacturing methods. In experimental testing, CAR-T cells created using HCW9206 demonstrated anti-tumor effects against leukemia and antiviral activity targeting HIV.
The study reported that the compound supports the production of CAR-T cells enriched with long-lasting T-memory stem cells, which represented at least half of the resulting cell population. HCW9206 works by combining the activity of three immune-stimulating cytokines—IL-7, IL-15 and IL-21—within a single molecular scaffold.
Conventional CAR-T manufacturing typically relies on anti-CD3/anti-CD28/IL-2-based protocols, which tend to produce CAR-T cells with shorter lifespans. Researchers said HCW9206 could simplify the production process while potentially lowering costs and enhancing the durability and effectiveness of the engineered cells.
In studies using humanized mouse models, CAR-T cells produced with HCW9206 showed stronger performance than those manufactured using standard approaches. The experiments evaluated the therapy against both HIV-1 infection—using cells derived from individuals living with HIV—and B-cell leukemia models.
HCW Biologics said HCW9206 is a compound ready for commercial development. The company focuses on creating immunotherapy treatments for autoimmune disorders, cancer and diseases linked to aging.
The research appeared in Science Advances under the title “IL-7/IL-15/IL-21 cytokine-fusion scaffold generates highly functional CAR-T cells enriched in long-lived T memory stem cells.” Authors included researchers from HCW Biologics, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Caring Cross and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.