Verismo Therapeutics Reports First Clinical Data for Novel Multi-Chain KIR-CAR Therapies at AACR 2026
Key Insights
Verismo Therapeutics (search) will present initial Phase 1 clinical data for SynKIR™-110 (search) in mesothelin-expressing solid tumors and early data for SynKIR™-310 in B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas at AACR 2026.
The company's multi-chain KIR (search)-CAR platform represents the first KIR-CAR-based immuno-oncology therapies in human trials, designed to overcome limitations of traditional CAR T therapies.
The novel technology uses natural killer cell biology to address "always-on" tonic signaling and T cell exhaustion that limit current single-chain CAR T treatments.
Verismo Therapeutics (search) announced it will present first-in-human clinical data for its novel multi-chain KIR (search)-CAR platform at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of CAR T cell therapy. The company will showcase initial Phase 1 results for both SynKIR™-110 (search) and SynKIR™-310, representing the first multi-chain KIR-CAR-based immuno-oncology therapies to enter human trials.
Breakthrough Technology Addresses CAR T Limitations
Verismo's multi-chain KIR (search)-CAR technology draws inspiration from natural killer cell biology to advance gene-engineering science beyond current CAR T therapies. Traditional CAR T treatments are single chain and limited by "always-on" tonic signaling, T cell exhaustion, and the inability to effectively fight solid tumors and blood cancers over the long term.
"These presentations at AACR 2026 mark a defining moment in immuno-oncology as we transition from compelling preclinical evidence to first-in-human clinical data from our two lead KIR (search)-CAR-based therapies," said Laura A. Johnson, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Verismo Therapeutics (search). "By moving beyond 'always-on' single-chain CAR T to multi-chain KIR-CAR science, we believe we may have the potential to overcome current CAR T therapy limitations to successfully treat patients with solid tumors and to improve clinical responses in patients with blood cancers."
Clinical Trial Results for Solid Tumors
The company will present initial clinical results from its STAR-101 Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT05568680) evaluating SynKIR™-110 (search) in patients with advanced mesothelin-expressing solid tumors, including ovarian cancer (search), mesothelioma (search), and cholangiocarcinoma (search). The data will be featured in an oral late-breaking presentation titled "Initial results of a first-in-human dose-escalation study of KIR (search)-CAR in patients with advanced mesothelin-expressing solid tumors," presented by lead clinical investigator Janos L. Tanyi, M.D., Ph.D., from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Hematologic Malignancy Data
For blood cancers, Verismo will present preclinical and early clinical data from the CELESTIAL-301 Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT06544265) assessing SynKIR™-310 in patients with relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The poster presentation, titled "Novel SynKIR™-310 outperforms CD3-based second-generation CD28 or 41BB co-stimulated CAR T in B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (search) xenograft mice and shows early clinical signal," demonstrates superior performance compared to conventional CAR T approaches.
Platform Technology Advantages
The KIR (search)-CAR platform utilizes a modified NK cell-derived receptor and DAP12 (search) pairing designed to improve T cell functional persistence and reduce exhaustion. Using NK cell-derived KIR and DAP12 split-signaling provides novel immune-receptor paired activation that is independent from CD3 signaling and does not require additional co-stimulation.
This approach enables sustained chimeric receptor expression with improved long-term CAR T cell function and decreased T cell exhaustion. The result is CAR T cell resistance to tumor immunosuppression, prolonged functional persistence, and improved tumor elimination. The platform has demonstrated highly effective prolonged solid tumor treatment in otherwise CAR-resistant preclinical animal models with challenging tumor microenvironments.
Expanding Pipeline Applications
Beyond the current clinical programs, Verismo will also present preclinical data on an EGFR (search)-targeted multi-chain KIR (search)-CAR for glioblastoma (search) treatment, developed in collaboration with University of Pennsylvania researchers. The late-breaking poster, "Natural killer cell-based signaling in EGFR-targeted KIR-CAR T overcomes CD3-based CAR T functional deficits to eliminate resistant glioblastomas in vivo," supports potential clinical translation for this challenging brain cancer.
Verismo Therapeutics (search), a subsidiary of HLB Innovation (search), is the only company developing the KIR (search)-CAR platform. The technology was developed specifically to address areas of high unmet medical need, including advanced solid tumors and B cell associated disorders and malignancies. The platform provides potential for improving treatment by eliminating the always-on tonic signaling induced in single-chain CAR T cells for both solid and hematologic tumors.