Groundbreaking immunotherapies
Mnemo is committed to addressing the major challenges in the field of immuno-oncology. By uncovering novel cancer-specific targets and boosting the persistence and sensitivity of cell therapies, Mnemo aims to unlock new possibilities for safely treating cancer.
Learn more about Mnemo’s advances through our scientific publicationsFinding Cancer-Specific Targets
Current cancer targets originate from a very small percentage of the human genome, leaving regions rich with potential oncology targets unexplored. Mnemo’s unique target ID engine works to overcome this challenge by mining the “grey genome”. Grey genome refers to the part of the dark genome that is annotated, transcribed and in some cases translated into proteins (TEs, long non-coding RNAs and products of non-canonical splicing events between exons and TEs, for example).
By exploring the grey genome, Mnemo has discovered new classes of cancer antigens that are both highly tumor-specific and recurrent in cancer patients. These antigens originate from defects linked to oncogenesis, including de-repression of transposable elements (TEs) and mutations in the splicing machinery.The applications of E-antigens (for epigenetic tumor antigens) are modality agnostic, across a range of therapeutic approaches, including cell therapies, T cell engagers, antibodies and vaccines.
Boosting Immune Activity and Persistence
T cell exhaustion and lack of persistence can cause cell therapies to lose their effectiveness over time and promote tumor relapse. To address this, Mnemo inactivates SUV39H1, an enzyme involved in the repression of memory-associated genes, promoting T cell exhaustion. Mnemo’s preclinical research demonstrates that inactivation of SUV39H1 causes T cells to exhibit greater activity and persistence, conferring effective tumor rejection and long-term protection against relapses.
Enhancing Antigen Sensitivity
Lack of antigen sensitivity is a challenge facing immunotherapies, leading to tumor relapse. To address this challenge, Mnemo is developing a proprietary HLA-independent TCR (HIT), designed to closely resemble the natural TCR structure. This design elicits enhanced potency, demonstrating 10 to 100x greater sensitivity than conventional CAR constructs, and is not HLA-restricted like TCRs.
Mnemo is working to address unmet medical needs in oncology with a focus on solid tumors. The company’s near-term pipeline is concentrated on a next-generation CAR-T cell therapy leveraging the SUV39H1 knockout technology to boost the activity and persistence of T cells. Additionally, the first HLA Independent TCR (HIT) constructs is in development to increase therapeutic sensitivity. Mnemo is also advancing the E-antigen discovery engine, to uncover novel tumor-specific and shared cancer targets.