Three researchers from Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Cell and Gene Therapy have received G-Rex Grants totaling $475,000. The grants were awarded by ScaleReady, in collaboration with Wilson Wolf Manufacturing, Bio-Techne Corporation, and CellReady.
Dr. Ann Leen, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at BCM’s CAGT, was granted $275,000 for her work on tumor-associated neoantigen-specific T cell therapies. Her research focuses on treatments for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome in relation to hematopoietic stem cell transplants. Dr. Leen has contributed significantly to the field since 2002 and is involved in numerous publications and patents.
Dr. Katie McKenna, an assistant professor at BCM’s CAGT, received $100,000 to develop a new approach using G-Rex technology for culturing three-dimensional solid tumor spheroids. Her project aims to improve the representation of the tumor microenvironment compared to traditional methods used in Investigational New Drug applications.
Dr. Dimitrios Laurin Wagner, along with Dr. Marie Pouzolles from his lab, was awarded $100,000 for their innovative gene editing platforms aimed at creating immune cell therapies. Their work involves scaling up non-viral gene-edited T cells using an optimized CRISPR-Cas-based method.
John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Wolf Manufacturing and co-inventor of G-Rex technology, commented on the importance of these grants: “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 G-Rex Grant Program by ScaleReady is part of a $20 million initiative designed to support advancements in cell and gene-modified cell therapy development and manufacturing.
