Congratulations to our inventor team led by Brian Koss, Ph.D., with first author Sydnye Shuttleworth, on their recent publication in Cell that could help advance cancer immunotherapies by addressing a central challenge: keeping immune cells effective against cancer over time.

This breakthrough approach genetically engineers CD8+ T cells to overexpress RNF166, helping them maintain their cancer-fighting activity within tumors, resist exhaustion, and generate more durable immune responses. This technology can be applied to cell therapy platforms like CAR T cell therapies, independently of antigen specificity, to improve tumor control and lasting immune memory, with exciting potential for next-generation cancer immunotherapies.

As this technology continues its path toward patient impact, BioVentures is actively exploring commercialization opportunities.

Read more about the discovery and the researchers behind it in UAMS News, and explore the full study in Cell.

Interested in bringing this technology forward? Contact BioVentures at bioventures@uams.edu to discuss licensing, partnerships, and other commercialization pathways.