Immunara

Cancer immunotherapy has transformed treatment for many patients, yet a large group of non-responders still remains. Immunara is developing a novel precision immunotherapy that aims to train the immune system to recognise and eliminate cancer cells more effectively.

Their approach focuses on selectively delivering tumour-specific antigens to CD169-positive antigen-presenting cells (APCs) — the ‘teacher cells’ of the immune system that are essential for triggering targeted immune responses. To achieve this, Immunara is designing nanobody-based carriers that bind to CD169 and deliver a variety of antigen formats, such as recombinant proteins, peptides, viral vectors or RNA.

By guiding antigens to the right immune cells, their technology has the potential to unlock stronger and more specific anti-cancer responses. The founding team — from Amsterdam UMC and LUMC — envisions Immunara as a next-generation platform for personalised cancer immunotherapy.