ROR1-CAR myeloid cells

ROR1-CAR myeloid cells are an experimental adoptive cell therapy consisting of myeloid cells, such as macrophages or monocytes, engineered to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Like Orphan Receptor 1 (ROR1). ROR1 is an oncofetal antigen that is highly expressed during embryonic development and in various malignancies—including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and several solid tumors like breast and lung cancer—but is largely absent in healthy adult tissues. Unlike traditional CAR-T cell therapies, CAR-myeloid cells (CAR-M) are specifically designed to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristic of solid tumors. These engineered cells can actively infiltrate tumor sites, recognize and phagocytose ROR1-positive cancer cells, and secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines that recruit and activate endogenous T cells, thereby initiating a broader and more durable anti-tumor immune response. The program is primarily being developed by Carisma Therapeutics, which is exploring both ex vivo engineering and an in vivo reprogramming approach in collaboration with Moderna using mRNA-LNP technology.

Other names

ROR1-CAR-MROR-1-CAR-MROR 1-CAR-MROR1-CAR-macrophagesROR-1-CAR-macrophagesROR 1-CAR-macrophagesROR1-CAR-monocytesROR-1-CAR-monocytesROR 1-CAR-monocytesROR1-targeted CAR-myeloid cellsROR-1-targeted CAR-myeloid cellsROR 1-targeted CAR-myeloid cells