CD5-deleted DSG2-directed CAR-T cells

CD5-deleted DSG2-directed CAR-T cells (VIP-DSG2) is an experimental autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy developed by Vittoria Biotherapeutics for the treatment of various solid tumors. The therapy targets desmoglein 2 (DSG2), a desmosomal cadherin that is upregulated in nearly all epithelial-derived cancers and is associated with poor prognosis. A key feature of this asset is the CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion of the CD5 gene, which encodes an inhibitory receptor that normally acts as a natural brake on T-cell activation. By removing CD5, the CAR-T cells exhibit enhanced in vivo expansion and superior antitumor activity even at sub-therapeutic doses. The CAR construct is a third-generation design incorporating CD28 and 4-1BB costimulatory domains along with the CD3ζ signaling domain. Preclinical data presented at ASCO 2025 demonstrated curative efficacy in multiple xenograft models, including colorectal, pancreatic, lung, prostate, breast, and liver cancers, without evidence of toxicity in human DSG2 transgenic mice.

Other names

DSG2-directed CAR-T cellsDSG-2-directed CAR-T cellsDSG 2-directed CAR-T cellsCD5-deleted DSG2 CAR-TCD-5-deleted DSG2 CAR-TCD 5-deleted DSG2 CAR-T