Turn the tumor against itself.
Cellis is a biotech company developing a new generation of cell-based therapies for solid tumors. Our proprietary Macrophage Drug Conjugate (MDC) platform is designed to exploit the biology of the tumor microenvironment to attack cancer and activate anti-tumor immunity from within.
MDC is enabled by our ground-breaking discovery of the biologic TRAIN mechanism, through which macrophages efficiently deliver a wide range of therapeutic payloads directly into the cytoplasm of cancer cells. This highly targeted intracellular delivery induces tumor cell death and, importantly, generates damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) – powerful danger signals released by stressed and dying cells.
These DAMPs are recognized by macrophages already present within the tumor microenvironment. This provides a biological signal that can activate and reprogram local macrophages, shifting the tumor microenvironment from one that supports tumor growth toward one that is more permissive to anti-tumor immunity.
In this way, MDC goes beyond targeted drug delivery. It activates the tumor from within. By using macrophages to deliver therapy directly into cancer cells and harnessing the resulting DAMP signals to activate macrophages within the tumor, MDC creates a self-amplifying mechanism of tumor attack.
We don’t just target the tumor.
We turn the tumor into a signal of danger.
Our vision is to transform immunologically silent tumors into tumors that actively signal the immune system to attack them – effectively turning the tumor against itself.
Preparation is underway to progress our technology to first-in-human clinical trials in Q4 2026.
