What type of cells make up our body?
Learn more about the types of cells that make up the human body – and why somatic cells, such as dendritic or mesenchymal stromal cells, play a key role in our research.
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Our medical products in research and development
At CREATIC laboratories, we develop cell-based products that harness the body’s natural immune functions – either by strengthening its ability to attack threats or by calming down excessive immune responses. Our research focuses on dendritic cells, which can teach the immune system to recognize and destroy tumour cells, and on mesenchymal stromal cells, which help control chronic inflammation and support wound healing. These therapies use the patient’s own cells or cells from healthy donors and represent a gentle, yet promising path in modern medicine.
Overview of CREATIC’s Cell-Based Therapies in Development
This chart presents the current portfolio of investigational cell-based therapies under development at CREATIC. Each product targets a specific medical condition and is in various stages of development and clinical testing:
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KDO_DC uses autologous dendritic cells to stimulate anti-tumour immunity in children with high-risk paediatric tumours.
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MSC-EB and MSC-NANO explore the therapeutic potential of allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells for patients with epidermolysis bullosa – either through direct injection or via nanofiber wound dressings.
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GD2-MONO is a novel therapy using GD2⁺ CAR-monocytes designed to target neuroblastoma.
All therapies are currently in the development or early clinical trial phases (Phase I/II), representing a promising step forward in personalised regenerative and immunomodulatory treatments.
Cell Types Behind the Therapies
Dendritic cells – teachers of antitumour immunity
Dendritic cells are one of the many types of our immune cells. They are the teachers who teach other immune cells to recognize unwanted cells in the body, such as cancer cells. Such properly "educated" immune cells can then destroy the tumour cells.
Immature immune cells are obtained from a blood sample from a cancer patient in the CREATIC laboratories. We help them mature into dendritic cells while feeding them a sample of the patient's tumour tissue, which we obtain when the patient undergoes surgical removal of the tumour as a part of the standard cancer treatment. The fed and mature dendritic cells become "fully approbated teachers".
The product is administered subcutaneously near the lymph nodes every 2-4 weeks. The lymph nodes are "schools" where a large number of immune cells are "learning" with the dendritic cells to acquire the ability to destroy cancer cells.
Mesenchymal stromal cells – tutors of immunity in chronic wounds
Mesenchymal stromal cells are a natural part of our tissues, which help with ongoing repair and healing. They are multipotent cells, meaning they can transform into several specialized cells depending on the body's needs - specifically bone, cartilage and adipose tissue cells.
However, we are more interested in their effect on immune cells and inflammation. Mesenchymal stromal cells decrease the body's inappropriate immune response and suppress inflammation. These processes are one of the reasons why chronic wounds are difficult to heal. Mesenchymal stromal cells can bring order to the wound, suppressing the rampant immunity and excessive inflammatory response. As a result, wounds can heal better.
Mesenchymal stromal cells are extracted from the adipose tissue of healthy donors who undergo liposuction. The suctioned fat is usually discarded after the procedure, but we can isolate and multiply these immunomodulatory cells at CREATIC laboratories. Mesenchymal stromal cells can either be administered by subcutaneous injection into wounds and their margins or grow inside a wound dressing.
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