TM

Our Platform: TriNKET

Dragonfly's proprietary technology: Tri-specific, NK cell Engager Therapies 
THE CHALLENGE
HOW OUR TECHNOLOGY WORKS
 

THE CHALLENGE

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide.

Cancer-related deaths are expected to grow to 20 million by 2030, with devastating physical, psychological, and financial effects for families and society broadly.

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Traditional cancer therapies are not ideal

Traditional treatments are frequently ineffective and can be significantly harmful to the patient with side effects including:

• Heart problems

• Lung damage

• Permanent scarring

• Loss of reproductive capabilities

• Severe pain & sickness

• Loss of limbs & death

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Immunotherapy has emerged as an effective
alternative to traditional cancer therapies

In the last decade, immunotherapies have been developed that stimulate the body's immune system to fight cancer, primarily using T-cells. These early immunotherapies have been successful for some patients, but considerable limitations and challenges remain. In particular, T-cell-based treatments have so far been successful only for certain types of cancers, and only for a fraction of patients with those cancers

What is immunotherapy?
A powerful new tool to kill cancer.

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Thus far, "Checkpoint Blockade" and "CAR-T Cell" therapies, which both use the T cells of the immune system, have had great success, with Science magazine calling Cancer Immunotherapy the "Breakthrough of the Year" in 2013.

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Dragonfly's technology dramatically enhances immunotherapy using Natural Killer (NK) cells, known as the sentinels of the immune system. Our technology platform, TriNKETs (Tri-specific NK cell Engagement Therapies) leverage NK cells' demonstrated benefits, yielding both important new and broadly applicable therapeutic tools and a portfolio of powerful anti-cancer drugs.

 

HOW OUR TECHNOLOGY WORKS

Our proprietary TriNKETs provide an active connection between cancer cells, and cells of the immune system including NK cells themselves, T cells, B cells, and other cells that help attack and kill cancer.  Here's how it works:

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Start with a cancer cell...

These cancer cells, in both solid tumors and blood, express proteins on their surface.

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...and a Natural Killer (NK) Cell

NK cells are part of the natural immune system of every human body. They also express proteins on their surface.

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Add Dragonfly’s proprietary TriNKET

Our proprietary TriNKETs (Tri-specific, NK cell Engager Therapies) bind to the proteins expressed on both cancer cells and NK cells.

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Activate the body’s NK cells

Through this binding, Dragonfly's TriNKETs stimulate NK cells, making them aware of the cancer and allowing them to both directly kill the cancer cells, and notify other immune cells to attack the cancer.

Dragonfly's NK cell-based TriNKETs 
enhance immunotherapy in several ways

Our goal is to dramatically enhance immunotherapy using our NK-cell based TriNKET platform. Like T-cells, NK cells are part of the body's natural immune system and can recognize and destroy cancer cells in a broad range of indications, directly. They also direct other cells of the immune system:

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  1. NK cells kill tumor cells, directly



     

  2. NK cells also activate T cells
    and B-Cells


     

  3. This helps B cells produce 
    anti-tumor antibodies


     

  4. And activates moreT cells to 
    kill tumor cells



     

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Overall, NK cells amplify the effectiveness of T-cells, acting as a sentinel that calls other immune system cells to attack the cancer, as well as broadening the therapeutic window (or "safety profile") by using their special characteristics of distinguishing cancer, to more specifically target tumor cells. 

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