Our Science
Our novel DCITE (Dendritic Cell Initiated T cell Engineering) platform uses lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations to deliver mRNA encoding cGASΔN that activate dendritic cells via the STING pathway. This technology engineers polyfunctional tumor-specific CD8⁺ T cells that circulate systemically and infiltrate deep into tissues, creating T cells with enhanced tissue-penetrating capabilities that can reach and eliminate tumors wherever they hide. With this approach, we can design off-the-shelf immunotherapies that enable the in vivo generation of durable, disease-protective T cells to treat a variety of cancers and infections.
DCITE generates circulating and tissue-penetrant T cells
DCITE engages dendritic cells to engineer polyfunctional tumor-specific CD8⁺ T cells in vivo. These T cells circulate systemically and infiltrate solid tissues.
Benefit: The DCITE in vivo strategy of T cell generation addresses the tissue-accessibility limits of adoptive cellular therapies such as conventional CAR-T therapies.
DCITE activities generate long-lived anti-tumor immunity
DCITE establishes persistent memory and tissue-resident T cells that maintain long-term surveillance of tumor sites, addressing a key barrier to durable cancer immunity.
Benefit: DCITE induces sustained immune memory and tumor surveillance.
DCITE transforms cold tumors into T cell-infiltrated battlegrounds
Local DCITE LNP administration recruits and activates fresh cytotoxic T cells within the tumor, remodeling the microenvironment into a T cell-rich niche that synergizes with immunotherapies.
Benefit: DCITE improves responsiveness to checkpoint inhibitors and intratumoral therapies.
DCITE amplifies T cell responses across all therapeutic platforms
DCITE’s LNP platform is readily compatible with any mRNA-based cancer therapy, making it a flexible platform for engineering tissue-homing T cells for multiple tumor types.
Benefit: DCITE displays broad compatibility with mRNA cancer therapies.
How can the DCITE Platform be used?
Our novel DCITE platform encodes a catalytic mRNA that can be delivered to dendritic cells via LNPs. This technology can be combined with any mRNA-encoded antigen to generate an enhanced CD8+ T cell response.
DCITE can be used with any off-the-shelf mRNA-LNP to promote long-lasting immunity against antigens of interest.
Select Presentations and Publications
April 25, 2025
Poster Presentation, American Association for Cancer Research
“An mRNA-encoded Adjuvant-enzyme Activates STING to Enhance the Immunogenicity of Vaccines Targeting Human Papillomavirus Positive Cancers”
November 8, 2023
mRNAs encoding self-DNA reactive cGAS enhance the immunogenicity of lipid nanoparticle vaccines mBio
November 3, 2023
Poster Presentation, 38th SITC 2023
“A Catalytic Adjuvant to Enhance the T cell and Antibody Immunogenicity of Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccines”