Carisma Therapeutics (US:CARM) Prnewswire·2024-11-17 12:30Core Insights - Carisma Therapeutics Inc. presented promising preclinical data on engineered macrophages for treating liver fibrosis at the AASLD The Liver Meeting® 2024, highlighting their potential as a novel treatment option for patients with fibrotic liver disease, including advanced metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) [1][4] Group 1: Preclinical Results - Engineered TIM4-expressing macrophages demonstrated potent antifibrotic activity by correcting defective efferocytosis in MASH models [1] - A single dose of macrophages expressing TIM4, alone or with relaxin, significantly reduced liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cell activation in the CDAHFD MASH model [3] - The engineered macrophages were well tolerated and outperformed non-engineered cells across all models tested [3] Group 2: Treatment Context - Liver fibrosis is a critical late-stage pathway in various liver diseases, including MASH, with limited treatment options available for advanced liver disease patients [2] - The disease is characterized by defective efferocytosis, activation of hepatic stellate cells leading to collagen accumulation, and chronic inflammation [2] Group 3: Future Developments - Carisma plans to nominate a development candidate for its liver fibrosis program in the first quarter of 2025, indicating a commitment to advancing their research based on the promising preclinical findings [4]