Imagine a world in which it is possible to provide engineered allogeneic CAR T cells to cure patients with B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases, to replace pancreatic islet cells in patients with type 1 diabetes, or to repair damaged neurons with glial progenitor cells in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Differentiating stem cells into clinically needed cell types has the potential to transform the way we treat a host of diseases. Cell replacement therapy offers the opportunity to turn this vision into a reality.

The key challenges in the field are making the appropriate cells at scale and then having them engraft, function, and persist. Making impactful medicines in this field requires success in all of these components.

  1. Engraft = developing the right delivery system, understanding the underlying microenvironment, and ensuring cells have the right features to succeed

  2. Function = understand and reproducibly manufacture the exact cell needed

  3. Persist = overcome immune rejection and cell death

We view the most challenging barrier to be overcoming immune rejection from transplanting a ‘non-self’ cell. Sana has assembled a team of leaders in this area, and successful development of this capability will make cellular therapy products widely accessible.

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