About Us
Refuge is a cancer immunotherapy company leveraging synthetic biology and gene engineering to unlock the full promise of cell therapies. We create cell therapies that sense their surroundings and conditionally activate or repress multiple genes simultaneously – resulting in more potent and targeted treatments beyond a single target and function.
OUR SCIENCE
Next Generation of Cell Therapy
CAR-T cell therapies have made significant impact on cancer treatment by shifting the targeting function of T-cells toward cancer antigens. While meaningful, this only scratches the surface of how we can harness the complexity of cell biology in cancer treatment. We think of cells like a modern smartphone with multiple antenna, input sensors and a complex operating system that can be programmed and modified to achieve a desired effect. Refuge has created a platform to unlock this full potential and combine multiple therapeutic approaches into one cellular treatment.
Multiplexed Gene Modulation
CRISPR-Cas9 has been the backbone of the gene editing revolution, but direct modifications, deletions and additions to the human genome has its limits. In 2012, Refuge Co-founder Dr. Stanley Qi created a mutated Cas9 protein – dCas9 – that no longer cuts the DNA double helix, but functions as a carrier to targeted areas of the genome. Once at its target, Refuge’s specially designed cell delivers a transcriptional activator or repressor that turns multiple genes on or off – known as CRISPRa (activation) or CRISPRi (interference). These highly accurate modulations of gene function create multiple therapeutic functions, and all without permanent edits to the genome.
Scientific Illustrations
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scFV Receptor
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Spacer
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Cell Membrane
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CD-28/4-1BB
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CD-3ζ
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Protease
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Adaptor
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Cleavable Linker
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dCAS9
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KRAB
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Nuclear Membrane
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TIM-3 gRNA
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PD-1 gRNA
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TIM-3
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PD-1
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Spacer
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Protease
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Adaptor
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Cleavable Linker
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dCAS9
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KRAB
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Nuclear Membrane
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TIM-3 gRNA
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PD-1 gRNA
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PD-1
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Tumor Antigen
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scFV Receptor
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CD-28/4-1BB
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CD-3ζ
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Protease
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Adaptor
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Cleavable Linker
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Nuclear Membrane
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TIM-3 gRNA
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PD-1 gRNA
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TIM-3
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PD-1
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Tumor Antigen
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scFV Receptor
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Spacer
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Cell Membrane
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CD-28/4-1BB
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CD-3ζ
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Protease
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Adaptor
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Nuclear Membrane
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TIM-3 gRNA
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PD-1 gRNA
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TIM-3
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PD-1
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Tumor Antigen
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scFV Receptor
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Spacer
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Cell Membrane
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CD-28/4-1BB
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CD-3ζ
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Protease
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Adaptor
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Cleavable Linker
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dCAS9
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KRAB
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Nuclear Membrane
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TIM-3 gRNA
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PD-1 gRNA
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TIM-3
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PD-1
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scFV Receptor
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Spacer
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Cell Membrane
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CD-28/4-1BB
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CD-3ζ
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Protease
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Adaptor
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Cleavable Linker
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dCAS9
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KRAB
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Nuclear Membrane
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TIM-3 gRNA
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PD-1 gRNA
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TIM-3
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PD-1
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Tumor Antigen
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scFV Receptor
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Spacer
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Cell Membrane
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CD-28/4-1BB
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CD-3ζ
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Protease
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Adaptor
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Nuclear Membrane
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TIM-3 gRNA
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PD-1 gRNA
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TIM-3
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PD-1
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Tumor Antigen
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scFV Receptor
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Spacer
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Cell Membrane
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CD-28/4-1BB
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CD-3ζ
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Protease
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Adaptor
8
Nuclear Membrane
9
TIM-3 gRNA
10
PD-1 gRNA
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TIM-3
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PD-1
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Tumor Antigen
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scFV Receptor
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Spacer
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Cell Membrane
4
CD-28/4-1BB
5
CD-3ζ
6
Protease
7
Adaptor
8
Cleavable Linker
9
dCAS9
10
KRAB
11
Nuclear Membrane
12
TIM-3 gRNA
13
PD-1 gRNA
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TIM-3
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PD-1
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Tumor Antigen
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scFV Receptor
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Spacer
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Cell Membrane
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CD-28/4-1BB
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CD-3ζ
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Protease
8
Adaptor
9
Cleavable Linker
10
dCAS9
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KRAB
12
Nuclear Membrane
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TIM-3 gRNA
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PD-1 gRNA
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TIM-3
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PD-1
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Tumor Antigen
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scFV Receptor
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Spacer
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Cell Membrane
5
CD-28/4-1BB
6
CD-3ζ
7
Protease
8
Adaptor
9
Cleavable Linker
10
Nuclear Membrane
11
TIM-3 gRNA
12
PD-1 gRNA
13
TIM-3
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PD-1
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Tumor Antigen
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scFV Receptor
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Spacer
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Cell Membrane
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CD-28/4-1BB
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CD-3ζ
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Protease
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Adaptor
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Nuclear Membrane
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TIM-3 gRNA
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PD-1 gRNA
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TIM-3
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PD-1
Programs
Refuge-T
CAR Target
Gene Modulation
Indication(s)
Refuge-T
RB-340
CAR Target
HER2
Refuge-T
RB-340-2
CAR Target
HER2
Gene Modulation
PD-1
PD-1 + TGFβr
Indication(s)
HER2 + Breast, GI, H&N
Solid Tumors
IND 1H 2022
Refuge-T
RB-312
CAR Target
HER2
Gene Modulation
IL-12 + c-Jun
Indication(s)
Solid Tumors
IND 2H 2022
Refuge-T
RB-340
CAR Target
HER2
Gene Modulation
PD-1
Indication(s)
HER2 + Breast, GI, H&N
IND 1H 2022
Refuge-T
RB-340
CAR Target
HER2
Gene Modulation
PD-1 + TGFβr
Indication(s)
Solid Tumors
Refuge-T
RB-312
CAR Target
HER2
Gene Modulation
IL-12 + c-Jun
Indication(s)
Solid Tumors
IND 2H 2022
Refuge-T
RB-401
CAR Target
GPC3
Gene Modulation
PD-1 + TGFβr
Indication(s)
Liver Cancer
Refuge-T
RB-501
CAR Target
Mesothelin
Gene Modulation
PD-1 + TGFβr
Indication(s)
Solid Tumors
Refuge-T
RB-240
CAR Target
CD-19
Gene Modulation
PD-1 + TGFβr
Indication(s)
DLBCL
Platforms
Mechanism-of-Action
Platforms
T-cell Fitness
– Increase T-cell stemness
Mechanism-of-Action
Master regulators of T-cell differentiation
cJUN, Tbet, IL21
Platforms
TCR, Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes
(Refuge-TILs)
Mechanism-of-Action
Genes contributing to T cell fitness
Media
Professor Stanley Qi gave a talk on gene editing and gene expression control at the 2016 Tencent WE conference in Beijing. (In Chinese)
Dr. Bing Wang gave a talk on Refuge Biotechnologies’ therapeutic platform at the 2017 Pioneers Festival in Vienna.
An Effort to Develop Safer and More Effective Immunotherapies by The Bio Report
CAREERS
Refuge’s mission is to develop a smarter way to fight cancer, using the most cutting-edge technologies available to us. We want to cure patients of life-threatening diseases, and change the way that cancer is treated. The team at Refuge is taking completely new approaches to overcoming key therapeutic challenges.
Our culture reflects this. There’s no denying we’re a passionate, risk-taking group. We hire the best of the best, but when we arrive at work, we leave our ego at the door and work together to break new ground in drug development. Some say we’re scrappy because we’re small yet determined — we’re swinging for the fences. But we’re also more than that. We’re agile, we’re well-prepared and every day we’re making significant progress towards our goals.
Follow us on LinkedIn to learn more about our team.
If you think you’d make a great addition to our team, send us an email. We’re seeking innovators who share in our commitment to perform science and research with integrity.