Three researchers at Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Cell and Gene Therapy have been awarded G-Rex Grants totaling $475,000. The grants were provided by ScaleReady in collaboration with Wilson Wolf Manufacturing, Bio-Techne Corporation, and CellReady.
Dr. Ann Leen, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor's Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, received a $275,000 grant. This funding will support process development and studies related to T cell therapies targeting tumor-associated neoantigens for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplants. Dr. Leen has been with the center since 2002 and is recognized as an author on over 100 publications. She holds patents related to G-Rex technology and has led numerous clinical trials involving novel cell therapies.
Dr. Katie McKenna, an assistant professor at the center, was awarded a $100,000 grant to develop a new approach using G-Rex technology for culturing three-dimensional solid tumor spheroids. Her goal is to create models that accurately represent the tumor microenvironment compared to traditional animal studies used in drug applications. Initially focusing on pancreatic, breast, and lung cancer tissues, Dr. McKenna plans to expand her research to other tumor types.
Dr. Dimitrios Laurin Wagner and Dr. Marie Pouzolles received a $100,000 grant for their work on gene editing platforms aimed at producing potent immune cell therapies. Their project involves scaling up non-viral gene-edited T cells using CRISPR-Cas-based methods for CAR insertion into human T cells' specific loci.
John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Wolf Manufacturing and co-inventor of G-Rex technology said: “Baylor’s Center for Cell and Gene Therapy has long been at the forefront of Cell and Gene Therapy innovation... It’s gratifying to know that our G-Rex Grant program will help these accomplished investigators advance their scientific objectives.”
The ScaleReady G-Rex Grant Program is part of a $20 million initiative designed to enhance cell therapy development by awarding grants up to $300,000 each while providing recipients access to specialized support from its consortium partners.
