Innovative Clinical Strategies to Treat HIV and Cancer Presented by Pioneering Research Scientist at the Innate Killer Summit in San Diego

LOS ANGELES, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Serhat Gumrukçu, inventor and co-founder of Enochian BioSciences and Director of Research at the Seraph Research Institute, was invited to present his innovative clinical strategies to treat HIV and Cancer at the Innate Killer Summit in San Diego, California.  The presentation, delivered as the closing Plenary Lecture, was based on Dr. Gumrukçu's promising clinical strategies designed to hyper stimulate various components of the immune system, including those that are part of innate killer immunity. (Link to Slide Presentation Here)

The presentation showcased Dr. Gumrukçu's novel approach using Natural Killer (NK) and a subset of T cells (known as Gamma Delta T-cells) derived from another person that induced control of HIV for 365 days in the blood of a person who was unable to achieve control with commonly used antiviral drugs due to resistance to them.  Dr. Gumrukçu has completed an FDA pre-IND meeting and is in the process of preparing an Investigator Initiated IND.

"Dr. Gumrukçu was invited and was made the concluding speaker because of his pioneering work on novel clinical approaches, including with innate killer cells," said Dr. Anahid Jewett, a member of the Scientific Program Committee for the Summit who chaired several sessions and is a renowned professor in tumor immunology at UCLA.  "I am enthusiastic about my collaboration with Enochian BioSciences to advance their oncology pipeline, starting with pancreatic cancer." 

There was an update on a published case report (Link to American Journal Case Reports) of a patient with recurrent glioblastoma treated with NK and dendritic cells (DC) derived from another person who is now tumor-free for 29 months.  In addition, Dr. Gumrukçu presented new data on a patient with optic tract glioma for seven years who was treated with NK and DC from another person.  For the first time, the size of the tumor decreased, and the patient has been in partial remission for 5 months.  There was a substantial increase in the immune response to the cancer. 

Enochian BioSciences, a company focused on gene modified cellular and immune therapies for infectious diseases and cancer, owns the license for the technology. Enochian is developing, and holds the intellectual property for an approach that genetically modifies the DC to, potentially, induce an even stronger immune response than was induced in those two individuals.

Dr. Mark Dybul, the CEO of Enochian BioSciences said, "I believe it was fitting for the Summit organizers to recognize the brilliant scientific ideas of Dr. Gumrukçu. Enochian BioSciences looks forward to advancing as many of them as possible, potentially saving many, many lives."

Forward-Looking Statements 
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions based on current information and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the success or efficacy of our pipeline. All statements other than historical facts are forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "plans," "expects," "aims," "intends," "potential," or similar expressions. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in any of such statements due to various uncertainties, including as set forth in Enochian BioSciences' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.  All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Enochian BioSciences undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

About Serhat Gumrukçu, MD, PhD 
Dr. Serhat Gumrukçu is the Executive Director and Director of Translational Research at the Seraph Research Institute, based in Los Angeles. He is well respected within the medical scientific community for his pioneering research work on solid tumor cancers and infectious diseases including SARS-CoV-2, HIV, Hepatitis B, and Influenza.  He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), International AIDS Society (IAS), HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), and the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy ASGCT) – where he served on the Cancer Cell & Gene Therapy Committee and the Infectious Diseases and Vaccines Committee. He is also a guest lecturer at UCLA, and was recently selected to join the upcoming 2022 JP Morgan Founders Forum.

About Seraph Research Institute 
Seraph Research Institute is a non-profit research institution, registered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that works to advance medical science in the areas of unmet need. The organization's team of leading research scientists and medical experts work to answer the fundamental questions rooted in science – studying disease at every level from molecular to cellular – and physiology, from individual to population-based scales to create novel approaches to help patients with incurable diseases.

SOURCE Seraph Research Institute