On March 9, 2026 Zelluna (OSE: ZLNA), a company pioneering allogeneic "off-the-shelf" T Cell Receptor-based Natural Killer (TCR-NK) cell therapies for the treatment of solid cancers, reported a collaboration with Etcembly Ltd, a biotechnology company applying advanced machine learning to T cell receptor (TCR) discovery and engineering.
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Highlights:
AI-enabled collaboration to engineer KKLC1-targeting TCRs for Zelluna’s TCR-NK platform
Builds on successful engineering of MAGE-A4 TCR underpinning ZI-MA4-1, approved for clinical testing in February 2026
Expands pipeline with validated solid tumour antigen expressed across multiple difficult-to-treat cancers
AI-guided in silico engineering to enhance specificity, potency and development efficiency
The collaboration will focus on the engineering of high-affinity, tumour-specific TCRs targeting KKLC1, a validated cancer antigen found in multiple difficult-to-treat solid tumours. The engineered receptors will be fully owned by Zelluna and developed for use within Zelluna’s proprietary TCR-NK platform. In-vitro data demonstrating safety, specificity and functional activity is now expected in Q4 2026.
This collaboration builds on Zelluna’s successful engineering of a T cell receptor (TCR) designed to recognise the cancer antigen MAGE-A4. This receptor is the targeting module of the company’s lead product candidate ZI-MA4-1, which in February 2026 received approval from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (UK MHRA) to initiate clinical testing. By engineering receptors targeting KKLC1, Zelluna is expanding its product portfolio beyond MAGE-A4 and can thereby address a broader spectrum of solid cancers and patients.
"Our lead product candidate ZI-MA4-1 is built on an affinity enhanced receptor that recognises cancer cells with the MAGE-A4 protein. We developed this receptor in our first highly successful collaboration with Etcembly," said Luise Weigand, Chief Scientific Officer of Zelluna. "We are now delighted to continue our collaboration on our next programme targeting KKLC1. By combining artificial intelligence with our cell therapy platform, we aim to develop highly precise and potent treatments for solid cancers."
"Our first collaboration with Zelluna demonstrated what AI-guided TCR engineering can achieve: a clinically approved receptor in a fraction of conventional timelines. We are excited to apply EMLy again to expand Zelluna’s pipeline and address cancers that desperately need new treatment options" commented Michelle Teng, Founder and CEO of Etcembly.
(Press release, Zelluna Immunotherapy, MAR 9, 2026, View Source [SID1234663398])