Biotech company Calidi Biotherapeutics has announced a significant advancement in cancer treatment with its RTNova platform, selecting an IL15 superagonist as its first therapeutic payload. Preclinical data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting reveal promising results in targeting and eliminating tumors while minimizing systemic toxicity.
The RTNova platform represents an innovative approach to treating metastatic cancers by enabling systemic delivery of tumor-targeted virotherapies. By engineering a vaccinia virus capable of delivering an IL15 superagonist directly into the tumor microenvironment, the platform demonstrates potential to significantly enhance immune response and tumor elimination.
This development is critically important for cancer treatment because it addresses two major challenges in oncology: targeting tumors effectively and reducing the side effects associated with traditional therapies. The ability to boost immune response while minimizing systemic toxicity could represent a breakthrough in how metastatic cancers are approached.
The preclinical data suggests that this approach could potentially be applied to multiple oncology indications, including high-grade gliomas and solid tumors. By leveraging a dual approach that can both treat and potentially prevent metastatic disease, Calidi Biotherapeutics is positioning itself at the forefront of innovative cancer treatment strategies.
