Descartes-30

Descartes-30 is an RNA-engineered, off-the-shelf allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy developed by Cartesian Therapeutics. It is designed to express a unique combination of DNases that degrade neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which are webs of DNA and histones implicated in the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and COVID-19. The therapy uses Cartesian’s proprietary RNA Armory platform to transiently engineer MSCs without genomic modification, enabling local and time-limited production of DNases at disease sites, particularly in the lungs. This approach aims to reduce inflammation and clotting associated with NET accumulation in ARDS and potentially other NET-related diseases.