By Fineline Cube 
China-based cell therapy biotech UTC Therapeutics announced receiving clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct clinical trials for its MSLN-targeted autologous CAR-T cell therapy, UCLM805, designed for adult patients with advanced MSLN-positive solid tumors.
Innovative LACO-Stim Platform
UCLM805 is based on UTC’s proprietary LACO-Stim platform, a lymphocyte-antigen-presenting cell costimulatory fusion protein and bidirectional T cell-myeloid cell linker. This platform activates antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells and macrophages, reprogramming suppressive M2 macrophages into activated M1 macrophages to promote anti-tumor immune responses. It also enhances T cell function, improving CAR-T cell proliferation, persistence, and tumor infiltration while resisting suppression by the tumor microenvironment.
Clinical Validation
The efficacy of UCLM805 has been preliminarily validated in China through an investigator-initiated clinical trial. Significant reductions in tumor lesions were observed in patients with metastatic lung cancer, demonstrating the therapy’s potential to treat advanced solid tumors.-Fineline Info & Tech