UP421

UP421 is an allogeneic, donor-derived primary islet cell therapy engineered using Sana Biotechnology's hypoimmune (HIP) technology. It is designed for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. The therapy involves transplanting insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells that have been genetically modified to evade both adaptive and innate immune responses, allowing them to survive and function in the recipient without the need for immunosuppressive drugs. This immune evasion is achieved by disrupting human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II expression—preventing recognition by T cells and antibodies—and overexpressing CD47, which signals macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells not to attack ("don't eat me" signal). Early clinical data show that transplanted HIP-engineered islets can produce insulin in response to meals, as measured by increased C-peptide levels, with no safety issues reported. The goal of UP421 therapy is to provide proof-of-concept for functional allogeneic cell transplantation without immunosuppression in type 1 diabetes[1][4][5][6][7][8].

Other names

HIP-modified islet cellsHIP-isletspseudo-isletsp-isletshypoimmune pancreatic islet cells