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A Revolutionary Approach to Treatment of Serious Diseases

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Disruptive and versatile technologies to redefine the role cells play in our bodies.

We believe cell membranes can be just as powerful as the cellular machinery within them. Cellics’ dynamic Cellular Nanoparticle (CNP™) technology leverages the power of cell membranes to craft specialized nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are coated with a variety of wild-type or engineered cell membranes with intracellular contents removed. CNP technology has the potential to provide new therapeutic solutions.

Platform Highlights
  • Versatile platform technology with proof-of-concept across multiple indications
  • IND for lead indication filed (MRSA pneumonia)
  • CARB-X grant (up to $15 Million) to support macrophage nanosponge program
  • Strong and comprehensive intellectual property protection in major markets (50 patents filed; 12 issued)
  • In-house GMP facility and dedicated R&D team

Cellular Nanosponge

Cellular Nanosponges are cellular nanoparticles without any drug payloads.

The Cellular Nanosponge generally includes a supportive nanoparticle core that is coated with intact wild-type or engineered cell membranes which retain surface protein receptors. Several characteristics include:

  • They are coated with wild-type or engineered cell membranes, which include the range of natural membrane receptors and lipids that bind to bacterial toxins, cytokines and viruses.
  • They leverage an increased surface to volume ratio in vivo, enabling sponge-like removal of these harmful agents by preventing them from binding to host cells,
  • A single cell can be used to make thousands of nanosponges.

Red Blood Cell Nanosponge (RBC-NS)

Our potent RBC-NS has the membrane lipids and receptors that an innate red blood cell has, however, the high surface-volume ratio of the RBC-NS allows it to act as a decoy regardless of the drug resistance profile of a target pathogen. This characteristic allows the RBC-NS to bind and neutralize targets like bacterial toxins and auto-antibodies—thereby protecting host RBCs. Importantly, RBC-NS is safely cleared by macrophages in the liver like innate RBCs, alleviating any concern about toxicity.

One of the bacterial infections that RBC-NS has the potential to address is Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). The pore-forming toxins emitted by MRSA can be effectively absorbed and neutralized by RBC-NS. Cellics’ lead candidate, CTI-005, is being developed for the treatment of MRSA pneumonia and has received IND allowance from the U.S. FDA.

Macrophage Nanosponge (MΦ-NS)

Macrophages are the foundation of our immune systems. They surround and kill microorganisms, remove dead cells, and can even stimulate the action of other immune system cells. When macrophages are activated by foreign microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses that enter the human body, they release molecules known as cytokines, which can activate more macrophages and stimulate further immune response and cause inflammation. Severe viral or bacterial infections could cause macrophages to over-respond and cause serious systemic inflammation such as cytokine storm or sepsis.

We can craft tens of thousands of MΦ-NS from just one macrophage. The MΦ-NS is a powerful advancement in nanomedicine with versatile applications. First, the MΦ-NS can effectively absorb and neutralize inflammatory cytokines and can be used to treat diseases such as sepsis and cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Second, the MΦ-NS can also be made into oral, topical or intraarticular formulations to treat inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis.

Cellics’ CTI-111 is being advanced for the treatment of sepsis and has received funding from CARB-X. This important partnership with CARB-X is intended to allow Cellics to advance its highly versatile platform to treat not only sepsis but other conditions with unmet medical needs such as post CAR-T cytokine release syndrome (CRS).