What's Happening?
Sift Biosciences, a UC Berkeley spinout, has announced the closing of a $3.7 million pre-seed financing round. The funding, co-led by Freeflow Ventures and Lifespan Vision Ventures, will support the development of Sift's next-generation peptide immunotherapy platform. This platform aims to engage pre-existing memory T cells to enhance immune responses in cancers that are resistant to current treatments. The company is initially focusing on 'cold' solid tumors, such as microsatellite-stable colorectal and ovarian cancers.
Why It's Important?
The financing will enable Sift Biosciences to advance its innovative approach to cancer immunotherapy, which could significantly impact the treatment of solid tumors. By leveraging infection-trained memory T cells, Sift's platform
has the potential to overcome the limitations of existing immunotherapies. This could lead to more effective treatments for patients with few options, particularly those with colorectal and ovarian cancers. The company's approach also holds promise for applications in autoimmune diseases, highlighting its broad potential impact.
