By connecting the tools and expertise from across the UCSF ecosystem, the Living Therapeutics Initiative (LTI) is bringing together UCSF’s vast scientific and clinical expertise to accelerate research and quickly advance promising therapies to clinical trials for patients who have few, if any, good treatment options.

UCSF has long been at the forefront of cellular therapies.  The first chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) were actually described by Dr. Art Weiss at UCSF now over 30 years ago. The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF is one of the largest and most comprehensive stem cell programs in the United States and Shinya Yamanaka of UCSF won the Nobel prize in 2012 for his groundbreaking work in reprogramming mature cells to become pluripotent stem cells.  More recently, our faculty have been leaders in modifying signaling circuits, improving methodologies, and harnessing the power of CRISPR/Cas9 technology to correct or alter cells for disease treatment. 

What is Cellular Therapy?
Cell therapy uses a patient’s own and sometimes another’s cells to eradicate or correct a wide range of disorders. Recent advances in genome engineering and our knowledge of human biology, particularly the immune system, are creating opportunities for new kinds of cell therapies.