@MarioNawfal @MarioNawfal – It’s certainly an exciting area of biology, one that our team @IN8bio has been focused on for decades! You’re welcome to visit our labs anytime to check out the work we’re doing!
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William Ho
107 posts
William Ho
@willhonyc
Biotech investor and entrepreneur advancing novel therapies to treat cancer; Co-founder and CEO of @IN8bio
New York, NY Katılım Temmuz 2009
760 Takip Edilen417 Takipçiler
NEW FRONT IN THE WAR ON CANCER: THE CELLS THAT DON’T PLAY BY THE RULES
Forget the T cells you know. There’s a rogue branch of the immune system - γδ T cells - and they’re not waiting for your MHC permission slip.
These cells don’t need to “see” cancer the old-fashioned way.
They hunt by instinct - detecting stress, mutation, and molecular chaos where αβ T cells see nothing.
Think of them as the immune system’s black ops, trained to strike tumors that hide from mainstream defenses.
The kicker? They can be mass-produced from healthy donors.
No bespoke cell cocktails, no waiting for weakened patients to donate their own.
“Off-the-shelf” soldiers, ready to deploy.
Early trials show they kill tumors, boost immune memory, and even help repair damage - all without torching healthy tissue.
γδ T cells could do what αβ therapies can’t: take the fight to every cancer, in every body, without the side effects that make remission feel like survival’s fine print.
The next generation of immunotherapy isn’t coming from a lab - it’s been sitting in our blood all along.
Source: Science, Hayday et al.
Mario Nawfal@MarioNawfal
GENETICALLY WIRED FOR WORSE CANCER? NEW DRUG COMBO BUYS TIME If your prostate cancer comes with BRCA or similar DNA repair mutations, it usually means faster spread and fewer options. But a global study found that adding niraparib - a smart drug that exploits those broken repair genes - to standard treatment slows the disease down hard. Translation: if your cancer’s turbocharged by bad genes, this combo hits the brakes. Yes, there were more side effects - anemia, high blood pressure, some needing transfusions - but most stayed on treatment. Doctors are now pushing for routine genetic testing so men with these mutations don’t miss their shot. Source: Nature Medicine
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Exactly! This is the biology we’re building @IN8bio around. So much potential!
Mario Nawfal@MarioNawfal
NEW FRONT IN THE WAR ON CANCER: THE CELLS THAT DON’T PLAY BY THE RULES Forget the T cells you know. There’s a rogue branch of the immune system - γδ T cells - and they’re not waiting for your MHC permission slip. These cells don’t need to “see” cancer the old-fashioned way. They hunt by instinct - detecting stress, mutation, and molecular chaos where αβ T cells see nothing. Think of them as the immune system’s black ops, trained to strike tumors that hide from mainstream defenses. The kicker? They can be mass-produced from healthy donors. No bespoke cell cocktails, no waiting for weakened patients to donate their own. “Off-the-shelf” soldiers, ready to deploy. Early trials show they kill tumors, boost immune memory, and even help repair damage - all without torching healthy tissue. γδ T cells could do what αβ therapies can’t: take the fight to every cancer, in every body, without the side effects that make remission feel like survival’s fine print. The next generation of immunotherapy isn’t coming from a lab - it’s been sitting in our blood all along. Source: Science, Hayday et al.
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LOL…as an ex-investor that spent 17 years on Wall St before operating full-time, most investors would be shocked at what it takes just to keep the “wheels on the bus” moving forward without having them falling off! It would blow most people’s mind to see the stuff that goes sideways. Sometimes you’re just like, “How on Earth!?!” I know I was humbled for sure!
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One of my biggest realizations almost 3 years as an operator, is general embarrassment of how I used to grill management teams on how they ran their businesses. I have no doubt management teams think most public market investors are clowns.
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@willhonyc Hey there!
I retired - but still following NK cell, et al, developments.
I hope all is well for you and yours - and Larry, of course.
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Exciting data from our Phase 1 INB-200 program presented in an oral session this weekend at ASCO2025! I heard great feedback from KOLs across the country as we try to make a real impact for these patients with GBM. Please join us on a conference call at 8:30am EDT as we review the data where median PFS for patients receiving repeated doses surpassed historical median OS for standard-of-care.
IN8bio@In8bio
IN8bio Presents Positive Phase 1 Data of INB-200 in Newly Diagnosed GBM Demonstrating Prolonged Progression-Free Survival. Join us today, June 2nd at 8:30 am, for a company conference call to discuss the data with IN8bio management and Dr. Burt Nabors, the lead clinical investigator. Read the full press release for the webcast link: bit.ly/43mjohI. $INAB #ASCO2025 @ASCO #ASCO2025 #GDTcells #GammaDeltaTCells
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@BowTiedBiotech Our team at @In8bio has been saying GBM is a good place to start for solid tumors for years. #ASCO2025 - meetings.asco.org/abstracts-pres…
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🚨 Solid Tumor CAR-T Is No Longer a Joke
#ASCO25 is showing us just how far we’ve come.
For years, CAR-T in solid tumors was the biotech version of vaporware.
But this year’s lineup is different.
We’re seeing serious trial designs, smarter construct engineering, and delivery routes built to dodge the tumor microenvironment’s defenses.
Here’s what stands out:
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🧬 Repeat Offenders: CLDN18.2, MSLN, and CEA
Investors used to roll their eyes at “yet another mesothelin trial,” but the new wave is different.
👉🏼 A2 Bio is pairing MSLN and CEA with HLA-A*02 LOH targeting
👉🏼 BioNTech is back with CLDN18.2 in gastric cancer
👉🏼 Multiple CEA CARs are targeting post-op CRC liver mets and NSCLC
These aren’t me-too trials.
They’re smarter, more targeted, and using real patient enrichment strategies.
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🧠 GBM Is the New Playground
No fewer than four GBM CAR-T programs are reading out:
👉🏼 CARv3-TEAM-E T (targeting EGFRvIII, ICV delivery)
👉🏼 TmEGFR/IL13Rα2 dual-CAR (targeting EGFR epitope 806 + IL13Rα2)
👉🏼 Stanford’s B7H3 CAR for recurrent GBM (intracranial RoA)
These trials are testing combinations, delivery routes, and multi-antigen constructs in the brain, arguably the hardest place to succeed.
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🚚 Delivery Innovation Everywhere
ROA (Route of Administration) isn’t just a side note anymore.
👉🏼 Intracranial and intraventricular injections are being used to overcome barriers in brain cancer
👉🏼 Liver-directed CARs are showing up in CRC liver mets
👉🏼 HLA-A*02 LOH and other MHC-based enrichment is a real trend, not just window dressing
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🧪 What To Watch Next
Most of these are Phase 1/2.
But there’s enough mechanistic diversity, smarter trial design, and validated antigen targeting to finally take solid tumor CARs seriously.
The wildcard?
Durability.
That’s what will separate flashy posters from future approvals.
LARVOL@Larvol
CAR-T therapies are advancing in solid tumors, with @ASCO 2025 showcasing several promising studies; here is a curated list of key trials to watch. Never miss an update about #ASCO25 with us: t.ly/7TCD6 #LARVOL #CancerResearch #Oncology #SolidTumors #CART #ClinicalTrials #CancerData #OncologyInsights | @VivekSubbiah | @SuyogCancer | @cancerassassin1 | @Erman_Akkus | @GIMedOnc | @HemeoncF | @KNJobanputra | @BenWestphalen | @katy_beckermann | @weldeiry
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When we founded IN8bio, the idea was simple but ambitious: bring smarter, safer cell therapies to patients who need better options. Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest cancers, with virtually no progress in over two decades. Many told us not to bother because it was too hard, too small, too costly, or just because it's impossible. But for patients like Jim and their families, that’s not an acceptable answer.
Jim’s inspiring story shows what’s possible when science, perseverance, and courage come together. It’s a testament to innovation, to the vision of our scientific team, and to the dedication of physicians who refuse to give up.
We're still in the fight to find a path forward. Join us in a few weeks for an update at ASCO2025.
We’re proud of what our team and partners have accomplished, but the fight is far from over. Patients are still waiting.
This is why we do what we do.
IN8bio@In8bio
Jim was diagnosed with glioblastoma—one of the deadliest brain cancers. Facing dismal survival rates and a standard of care that hasn’t changed in over 20 years, he joined an @In8bio trial using his immune system to fight back. Jim's alive today—he is defying the odds. Watch his story. #BrainTumorStrong #BrainTumorAwareness #GBM #BrainCancer #Immunotherapy #CancerZero @SenJohnMcCain @mbsings @NBTStweets @BrainTumourOrg @theABTA @braintumourrsch @glioblastomaorg
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Can't disagree. Coming to this side it's baffling to me how some companies end up where they do. I've found the FDA to be generally straight forward and trying to help. We've been shocked at some competitor's whose guidance contradicts what we've been told directly by the Agency. This also just came out..."We believe in the letter and the spirit in right to try" This FDA does seem to be trying to bring down the regulatory barriers for "Dire" conditions. x.com/US_FDA/status/…
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Listen at 18' -- Makary and Prasad talk about wanting to bring more transparency to the FDA review process. Prasad mentions, specifically, how it's "unfair" that companies/drug sponsors can "spin" FDA letters "any way they want." And FDA "can't reply in the press, to clarify."
Obviously, by law, the FDA can't comment about drugs under review, but I like that, perhaps, there will be an effort to reveal more about review decisions.
I still want all Complete Response and Refuse-to-File letters made public!
U.S. FDA@US_FDA
FDA Commissioner Makary sits down for a conversation with the newly appointed director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Dr. Vinayak “Vinay” Kashyap Prasad and Sanjula Jain-Nagpal, Associate Director of Policy & Research Strategy, Office of the Commissioner (OC). The trio talks about the current and future happenings at the FDA.
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Exciting progress on our preclinical pipeline presented this week at AACR2025. Our lead T cell engager candidates, INB-619 (targeting CD19) and INB-633 (targeting CD33), have shown potent anti-cancer activity with some distinct advantages!
They effectively eliminated cancer cells in models without the secretion of potentially harmful inflammatory signals such as IL-6 that are associated with conventional engagers and drive significant toxicities like cytokine release syndrome.
We're optimistic about the potential of these candidates in the fight against cancer!
#CancerZero
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Thanks to @KarenJagoda for inviting me on her Empowered Patient Podcast to talk about @In8bio’s mission and how gamma-delta T cells are one of the most exciting frontiers in immunotherapy. We’re building smarter, and potentially safer and more effective therapies for cancer & autoimmune disease.
Full interview here: empoweredpatientradio.com/gamma-delta-t-…
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@omnibusreader @chamath When there’s uncertainty and chaos in the market asset mangers sell equities and buy the safety of bonds. Typically treasuries which are the largest and considered the safest markets. Excess demand for treasuries pushes their prices up and yields (rates) down.
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A big thank you to #IO360, Kate Woodard, @AxelHoos and Valerie Bowling for giving me the opportunity to share why I think @In8bio is taking a fundamentally different approach in the race to bring a new therapy to autoimmune diseases.
By my last count, over 45 programs are chasing CD19 CAR-T for autoimmunity. But few are asking tough questions about safety, scalability, or patient access.
At IN8bio, we chose not to follow the herd.
Instead, we’ve built something new: a gamma-delta T cell engager designed to deeply deplete B cells potentially without the toxicity seen with CAR-T or traditional CD3-based engagers.
We think this is important for a number of reasons:
• Many CAR-T trials quietly avoid enrolling women due to lymphodepletion risks—especially permanent ovarian damage.
• There are a huge number of commercial and operational challenges around delivering complex CAR-T therapies in autoimmune settings, especially across multiple siloed departments in hospitals (hematology, rheumatology, etc.).
• T cell engagers offer a simpler, potentially safer, and more scalable path—but most γδ approaches to date haven’t worked due to poor expansion.
We may have cracked the code.
Our INB-619 candidate has been shown to deliver significant expansion of γδ T cells, with robust B cell killing and no IL-6 spike—which could mean no CRS or ICANS.
This is a major moment of opportunity, and risk for companies entering autoimmunity. Thoughtful design, commercially attractive profiles and a path to patients will separate the real contenders.
#CancerZero
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🤷♂️I’m not an advertiser or influencer. Just a founder grinding, trying to find a cure for cancer including AML and GBM. Based on Dr. Schett’s groundbreaking work in lupus, we’re seeing if our tech may work in autoimmune diseases too. It was the first time I saw that button and I was just curious what it did. I’d appreciate a follow!
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@willhonyc @Asthika Interesting post to put ad spend behind, but you do you... 🧐
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Yesterday we presented at TD Cowen—excited to unveil INB-600, our next-gen γδ T cell engager!
• TCEs are a billion-dollar success in immunotherapy (J&J, Roche)
• INB-619 not only engages γδ T cells but expands them for a stronger, longer-lasting immune response
• Designed for blood cancers & autoimmune diseases with a potentially safer, more effective approach than CD3-based TCEs
A game-changer for γδ T cell therapies. More to come!
$INAB
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