Refuge Biotech is a discovery-stage therapeutic company focused on gene editing and genetic engineering of immune cells for cancer immunotherapy. Refuge is using CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) through their receptor-dCas platform to develop therapeutic cells that are programmed to make cancer-fighting decisions inside the patients body.

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Refuges receptor-dCas platform, utilizes a mutated or dead Cas9 (dCas) as a targeting mechanism to enable precision CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi). The cell therapies are programed to only activate CRISPRa/CRISPRi when they encounter specific sensors found on the surface of cancer cells, which delivers the treatment effect only to target cells. As a result, cell therapies have the potential to bring together multiple anti-cancer approaches in a single cell, such as repression of multiple checkpoint targets, with greater potency and reduced side effects.
Receptor-dCas platform has the potential to create highly targeted cell therapies that bring superior efficacy while overcoming limitations related to toxic side effects.