Though small in scope, Immatics and Editas’ deal adds to a flurry of recent activity involving treatments that harness gamma delta T cells, rare white blood cells with unique tumor-fighting capabilities.
Unlike the T cells used in Novartis, Gilead and Bristol Myers Squibb’s treatments, gamma delta cells have elements of both innate and adaptive immunity, which could enable them to generate a broader response against cancers. These cells also have key differences that make them less likely to trigger graft-versus-host disease, give them the potential to persist in the body for years, and to recognize a range of targets.
