Cellectis granted U.S. patents for CRISPR T cell therapies

The U.S. Patent Office granted Cellectis S.A. (Euronext:ALCLS; NASDAQ:CLLS) two patents covering the use of RNA-guided endonucleases to develop T cell immunotherapies.

Both patents claim methods of editing T cells using transient expression of CRISPR/nuclease components. Patent No. 9,855,297 covers genetic modification and expansion of T cells comprising multiple steps involving transfecting mRNA encoding an RNA-guided endonuclease, introducing guide RNA encoded by a DNA vector, and cleavage and genetic modification at the targeted locus with the RNA-guided endonuclease. Patent No. 9,890,393 covers genetic modification and expansion of T cells via introduction or expression of an RNA-guided endonuclease expressed from transfected mRNA and a guide RNA that directs the endonuclease to a targeted locus...