Jissisel Secures Fundamental Patent for Hypoimmunogenic Allogeneic Cell Therapies

Securing "CIITA Control Technology" to Reduce Immune Rejection

Jissisel announced on the 24th that it has registered patents in Korea and Japan for original technologies that serve as a core foundation for developing next-generation cell and gene therapies. The patents cover a technology that controls the key gene that regulates immune rejection, the "class II transactivator (CIITA)" of the major histocompatibility complex class II.

Jissisel company logo image. Jissisel

Allogeneic cell therapies, which by nature use cells from other individuals, have the limitation that the patient's immune system recognizes them as foreign and attacks them. Jissisel has secured a foundational technology that can reduce rejection by lowering immune recognition through the regulation of CIITA.

The company explained that, unlike approaches that edit multiple genes simultaneously, this technology can create hypoimmunogenic cells by controlling a single target, which is also meaningful in terms of simplifying the manufacturing process. It also emphasized that this is a platform technology that can be applied to various cell therapies without being limited to specific cell types or indications.

The company stated that it has comprehensively secured rights not only to the manufacturing methods using various gene-editing tools, but also to the cells themselves that are produced by applying this technology. It expects to strengthen its intellectual property competitiveness in the course of commercializing cell therapies going forward.

This technology was derived in collaboration with Canadian company Feldan Therapeutics through the Korea-Canada International Joint R&D Program of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). Jissisel solely owns the patent rights.

Jissisel CEO Won Sungyong said, "It is highly meaningful that we have secured the outcomes of joint research with a global partner as our own independent intellectual property (IP)," adding, "Based on this patent, we will continue to strengthen our technological competitiveness in the global cell therapy market."