Cellino, Karis Bio Partner on Autologous iPSC-Based Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease

Cellino, a biotechnology firm working on autonomous biomanufacturing for personalized regenerative medicines, has signed a strategic collaboration with Karis Bio, a South Korean cell therapy company, that will allow it to expand into the Asia-Pacific region. The partners aim to industrialize what they claim will be the first clinical-stage autologous induced pluripotent stem cell-derived (iPSC) therapy for peripheral artery disease and coronary artery disease. Karis Bio’s therapy uses patient-specific iPSCs to generate new blood vessels in ischemic organs to restore blood flow and repair damaged tissues.

It could be an effective alternative for patients to conventional invasive procedures such as stents or bypass surgery while eliminating the risk of immune rejection. Under the terms of the agreement, the partners will leverage Cellino’s Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Ultra-Scalable Approach (Nebula) platform to support scalable, high-quality production of autologous iPSCs for use in therapies. Nebula is a closed-cassette biomanufacturing system that automates traditionally manual processes using an AI-guided, laser-based cell management process.



The system is designed to variability and increase the consistency of biomanufactured cell and tissue products. Karis Bio is already conducting a first-in-human clinical study of its iPSC therapy in South Korea. The initial phase of the collaboration will focus on industrializing the autologous iPSC manufacturing process for this first trial, with plans to expand into Phase II trials through Karis Bio’s U.

S.-based offices. Young-sup Yoon, MD, PhD, CEO of Karis Bio, noted that the collaboration with Cellino leverages “the strengths of both organizations” and that pairing Cellino’s Nebula platform and Karis Bio’s vessel regeneration technology will “pave the way for the next generation of patient-specific cardiovascular disease therapies.

”Last year, Cellino received $25 million in funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support Nebula’s development.

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