Adendra

The challenge: Our immune system has evolved to react to abnormal cell death and that’s how we generate immune response to cancer. But this response isn’t powerful enough to control cancer growth and spread. Immunotherapy has had clear success in strengthening our immune responses to cancer – but only in a limited proportion of patients. Delivering meaningful responses to immune-resistant cancers remains a major challenge.

The breakthrough: Adendra’s co-founder discovered how a specific subset of dendritic cells recognise signs of atypical cell death, one of the hallmarks of rapid tumour growth, and alert T cells to attack. These specialised cells are present in low numbers in cancers, but Adendra’s Cross Training Technology aims to give this ability to all dendritic cells in cancers, greatly enhancing the number and strength of these cancer-fighting T cells.

Our role: Cancer Research Horizons made a matched seed investment alongside the Francis Crick Institute in London.