Introducing the REPAIRome
Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have developed what they describe as the first comprehensive catalog of DNA repair signatures across the human genome, termed the “human REPAIRome.” The work maps the characteristic “scars” left behind by different DNA repair processes, offering a systematic view of how cells respond to double-strand breaks and maintain genomic stability.
To build the catalog, the team used CRISPR-based screening to inactivate each of approximately 20,000 human genes in cell populations before inducing DNA damage. They then analyzed how the resulting mutations were repaired, identifying the specific patterns, or mutational footprints, associated with different DNA repair mechanisms. The resulting dataset links individual genes and pathways to defined repair outcomes, enabling researchers to infer which cellular processes are active or impaired in a given context.
The REPAIRome resource will be made publicly available – with the researchers hoping it will assist in the study of cancer genetics by helping to identify repair deficiencies that contribute to tumor development.
Emily Whitehead Foundation expands mission
The Emily Whitehead Foundation says it is broadening its mission to extend support and advocacy beyond pediatric cancer and CAR T-cell therapies. The expanded scope will include policy advocacy, patient and family support, and efforts to improve access to a broader array of innovative therapies such as gene editing and stem cell approaches.
"When we started the Emily Whitehead Foundation, our sole focus was on ensuring other children with pediatric cancer had access to the revolutionary CAR T-cell therapy that saved Emily's life," said Tom Whitehead, co-founder of the Emily Whitehead Foundation. "As the field of cell and gene therapies has rapidly advanced, we've seen the incredible potential of these innovative treatments to transform lives across a wider spectrum of diseases. It's time to extend our reach and fight for every patient who can benefit from these life-changing breakthroughs."
New grants for stem cell R&D
The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission has awarded $4.7 million in new grants to support R&D in regenerative medicine. The funding will back 11 projects in the first round of fiscal year 2026, focusing on neurodegenerative, cardiac, bone and cartilage, developmental, and vision disorders.
Recipients include academic institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, along with biotechnology companies Nanochon, REPROCELL U.S.A., RoosterBio, HOHCells, Theradaptive, and Stemora. The awards are being distributed across three programs: Launch awards for early-stage investigators and new entrants to regenerative medicine research, Commercialization awards for companies developing stem cell–based products, and Manufacturing Assistance awards to strengthen production capabilities in Maryland.
“This cycle, we received an unusually high number of applications, and the quality was outstanding,” said Rachel Brewster chair of the Commission. “We're excited to be supporting several local companies and congratulate all this funding cycle's awardees. We wish we had the budget to fund even more of the excellent projects we saw, but we're proud to be investing in Maryland's stem cell research community, and we are eager to see the impact of these awards.”
CAR T against solid tumors
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, in collaboration with the City of Hope, have developed a CAR T cell design to improve treatment solid tumors. The new approach integrates a fusion protein that combines IL-12 with a PD-L1 antagonist. In preclinical studies, the modified CAR T cells demonstrated antitumor activity in models of prostate and ovarian cancer. The researchers observed a reduction in tumor growth without significant off-target effects. By coupling IL-12 delivery with a PD-L1 inhibitor, the therapy localizes cytokine release to areas where PD-L1 is highly expressed, potentially improving efficacy and safety compared with systemic cytokine administration. The team plans to extend testing to additional tumor types, including pancreatic, colorectal, and brain cancers.
Manufacturing and robotics partnership
Made Scientific has agreed a technology partnership with Syenex to advance the manufacturing of engineered T cell therapies. The collaboration will integrate Syenex’s UltraCell and RapidCell platforms into Made Scientific’s cell therapy production processes, with the aim of improving scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in T cell therapy manufacturing.
According to the companies, early studies demonstrated that the RapidCell system could serve as an alternative to conventional viral transduction and activation reagents. The approach is designed to enhance gene transfer precision and efficiency, enabling the modification of broader T cell populations while reducing production time.
Made Scientific and Syenex plan to further develop the integrated manufacturing platform with the goal of offering it to therapy developers in 2026.
Made Scientific has also announced a collaboration with Streamline Bio to validate and integrate an AI-driven robotic manufacturing platform into cell therapy production workflows. The two organizations reported that initial validation of Streamline Bio’s precision robotics platform was successfully conducted in a live cell therapy production environment at Made Scientific’s facility in Princeton, New Jersey.
Lonza launches new products for CGT manufacturing
Lonza is expanding its TheraPEAK product portfolio with the addition of AmpliCell Cytokines and TheraPEAK 293-GT Medium – designed to support cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing.
According to the company, the AmpliCell Cytokine range is produced using mammalian expression systems to provide native-like protein folding and glycosylation, with a focus on consistency and biological activity. The cytokines are intended for use in cell therapy processes where reproducibility and product quality are critical.
The TheraPEAK 293-GT Medium is a chemically defined, animal-origin-free formulation optimized for AAV production in suspension HEK293 cell cultures. It is compatible with commonly used transfection reagents and is designed to support efficient vector yields and stable production performance.
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