CaseBioscience Joins Team Awarded Up to $7.3 Million ARPA-H Grant for Room-Temperature Cell Therapies
CaseBioscience is part of a team that received up to $7.3 million from ARPA-H to develop technology for storing and transporting cell-based therapies at room temperature, eliminating the need for cold chain logistics.
CaseBioscience is participating in a project awarded up to $7.3 million by the U.S. Agency for Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) through its BioStabilization Systems (BoSS) program. The multidisciplinary team, led by Likarda, aims to develop new methods for storing and transporting live cell therapeutics at room temperature.
The BoSS program's goal is to advance technologies that enable cell production, storage, and transportation without refrigeration. The initiative seeks to make advanced biological medicines transportable and storable with similar ease as common pharmaceuticals.
The Reversible Ambient Biostabilization (RAB) team, including CaseBioscience, is one of three selected for the program. It brings together expertise in preservation science, cell biology, bioengineering, immunology, and stem cell biology.
This effort addresses a key limitation of current cell therapies: the complex and costly cold chain logistics required for viability. Successful development of room-temperature stabilization could significantly simplify distribution, reduce barriers, and expand access to these potentially life-saving treatments for diseases like cancer.
Dr. Lynda McGinnis, Director of Research & Development at CaseBioscience, has prior experience in the field, having participated in early research on dry storage of sperm over two decades ago. She views the ARPA-H funding as a critical opportunity to advance this area for clinical applications.