SQZ Biotechnologies' TAC Program Induces Multiple Mechanisms Of Antigen-Specific Tolerance, Animal Study Shows

SQZ Biotechnologies Company SQZ has announced preclinical results from its Tolerizing Antigen Carrier (TAC) program, showing potential for application in various autoimmune diseases.
Data will be presented at the 2021 Federation of Clinical Immunology Sciences annual meeting.
In Type 1 diabetes (T1D) models, SQZ TACs deleted antigen-specific T cells without causing non-specific immune suppression, ultimately preventing hyperglycemia.
Disease Suppression: Engineered TACs significantly delayed onset of disease to a median of 65 days compared to 8 days in controls of a T1D model driven by pathogenic CD4 T cells.
TACs reduced the frequency of disease driving CD4 T cells in the pancreas 5-fold and decreased the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon-gamma – a significant driver of disease in this model – by 126-fold.
The engineered TACs also reduced disease driving CD8 T cells in the pancreas by 60-fold and decreased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon-gamma by 375-fold.
Price Action: SQZ shares are up 2.5% at $13.74 during the premarket session on the last check Wednesday.