On May 15, 2025 RyboDyn, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering first-in-class immunotherapies targeting the dark proteome, reported the expansion of its strategic collaboration with Moffitt Cancer Center, a global leader in cancer care and research (Press release, RyboDyn, MAY 15, 2025, View Source [SID1234653191]). The partnership aims to accelerate the development of immunotherapies targeting novel, cancer-specific proteins identified through RyboDyn’s proprietary sequencing and AI-driven target discovery platform, RyboCypher.

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Earlier this year, RyboDyn reported the identification of a cryptic class of proteins derived from overlooked RNA species—called Dark Targets. These novel antigens, invisible to standard detection methods, represent a new and largely untapped frontier for oncology drug development. Through its expanded collaboration with Moffitt, RyboDyn will validate the presence and therapeutic potential of these Dark Targets across a wide array of tumor types, leveraging Moffitt’s uniquely annotated tumor repository—one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. "Moffitt’s tumor bank is a critical resource in validating novel targets across a diverse set of cancer patients," said Dr. Alex Jaeger, PhD, assistant member of the Molecular Oncology Department at Moffitt Cancer Center. "The ability to correlate molecular signals with deep clinical metadata significantly accelerates both discovery and translational development."

Initial studies from the collaboration have confirmed that select Dark Targets are consistently presented on tumors—but not in healthy tissues—de-risking this novel class of antigens and providing a path toward scalable, tumor-specific therapies. "The fact that our lead targets are consistently presented across patient samples—yet absent in healthy tissues, gives us high confidence in their relevance," said Corey Dambacher, PhD, President, CTO, and Co-founder of RyboDyn.

These data support RyboDyn’s core hypothesis: while not all Dark Targets are cancer-specific, a distinct subset is uniquely and consistently presented on tumor cells—making them highly compelling candidates for therapeutic development. "We’re not building a personalized medicine platform—we’re designing therapies that combine precision with broad reach," said Imad Ajjawi, PhD, MBA, CEO and Co-founder of RyboDyn. "By focusing on conserved targets with tumor-specific presentation, we’re unlocking new opportunities for scalable, off-the-shelf therapies in oncology."

"This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to advancing the next generation of cancer immunotherapies," said Dr. Jaeger. "By combining Moffitt’s clinical and translational expertise with RyboDyn’s novel discovery platform, we’re accelerating progress toward more precise and effective treatments."