Multi-dimensional cell engineering in a single step
Through the complementary application of biological insights and technological advancements, we aim to unlock the transformative potential of cell therapies.
Creating the Future of Cell Therapies
Since our founding, we have focused on driving innovation to overcome the biological and manufacturing constraints of engineering cells as a therapeutic. We believe that our Cell Squeeze® technology has the potential to underpin a new generation of cell therapies by expanding the therapeutic possibilities of intracellular delivery, while streamlining the anticipated production time, costs and logistics for greater accessibility.
Multi-dimensional Control
Ability to modify cell functions, through transient or permanent changes, in a combinatorial manner
Breadth of cell types
Flexibility across therapeutically relevant cell types (immune cells, stem cells, RBCs, and more)
Autologous or allogeneic
Fit-for-purpose compatibility with autologous or allogeneic approaches
Cost effective, scalable
Practical, scalable model for producing and delivering cell therapies to patients
The Cell Squeeze® Technology
Cell therapies require precise and versatile biological engineering at scale to generate effective and accessible products. Our proprietary Cell Squeeze® technology relies on temporarily disrupting the cell membrane to deliver a variety of therapeutic cargoes while preserving cell health and function. Our technology allows for efficient, rapid and scalable intracellular delivery at a processing rate of over 10 billion cells per minute.
SQZ® Comparison of Different Approaches to Intracellular Delivery
Cell Squeeze®
Viral
Electroporation
Preservation of cell health
Minimal disruption of gene expression or normal cell functions
Tendency to trigger innate anti-viral responses. Risk of integration of viral components into the genome
Disruption of gene expression that can interfere with functions such as differentiation and expansion
Scalability
Scalable, e.g., through altering channel parallelization
Production of GMP virus may be expensive, time consuming and demand special safety measures
Flow-based systems are scalable; cuvette-based systems have scaling challenges
Universal across cell types
Applicable to all mammalian cell types attempted to date
Only applicable to certain cell types and often require different viral constructs for different cell types
Only applicable to certain cell types
Material independent
Diffusion mediated delivery is mostly cargo agnostic
No, can only deliver nucleic acids compatible with viral packaging
No, complex delivery mechanism favors highly charged materials such as nucleic acids
Stewart, M., et al. Nature. 2016.
Park, JC., et al. Immuno-Oncology and Technology. 2022.
Cell Squeeze®
Viral
Electroporation
Cell perturbation
Minimal disruption of gene expression or normal cell functions
Scalability
Scalable, e.g., through altering channel parallelization
Universal across cell types
Applicable to all mammalian cell types attempted to date
Material independent
Diffusion mediated delivery is mostly cargo agnostic
Cell perturbation
Tendency to trigger innate anti-viral responses. Risk of integration of viral components into the genome
Scalability
Production of GMP virus may be expensive, time consuming and demand special safety measures
Universal across cell types
Only applicable to certain cell types and often require different viral constructs for different cell types
Material independent
No, can only deliver nucleic acids compatible with viral packaging
Cell perturbation
Disruption of gene expression that can interfere with functions such as differentiation and expansion
Scalability
Flow-based systems are scalable; cuvette-based systems have scaling challenges
Universal across cell types
Only applicable to certain cell types
Material independent
No, complex delivery mechanism favors highly charged materials such as nucleic acids
Stewart, M., et al. Nature. 2016.
Park, JC., et al. Immuno-Oncology and Technology. 2022.
Therapeutic Applications of Cell Squeeze® Engineering
We believe there is significant therapeutic potential to be unleashed by engineering cell behavior. Our Cell Squeeze® technology has enabled the development of an oncology therapeutic candidate in an active Phase 1/2 clinical trial and has also led to a number of preclinical developments in the areas of autoimmune disease, infectious disease and regenerative medicine.
Learn more about SQZ® cell therapies in development