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Weinkove Laboratory

Making CAR T-cell therapies a standard of care in New Zealand.

The Weinkove Lab works on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell cancer therapies. CAR T-cell therapy involves the genetic redirection of a patient’s own T-cells to recognise and destroy cancer cells.

The lab led New Zealand’s first CAR T-cell clinical trial, ENABLE-1, a first-in-human study of a new 3rd generation CAR T-cell product that incorporates a novel co-stimulatory domain based on TLR2, in collaboration with Wellington Zhaotai Therapies Limited. In conjunction with manufacturing partner BioOra, the Weinkove group automated CAR T-cell manufacturing, and initiated a second, larger phase 2 trial (ENABLE-2), which is currently enrolling in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch.

The ENABLE-2 trial aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of this new CAR T-cell therapy with a view to future registration for standard of care clinical use. By establishing clinical pathways and experience in the delivery of CAR T-cells for New Zealand patients, the Weinkove Lab is helping lay the groundwork for other innovative trials and treatments.

As well as conducting the clinical trial programme, within the Perret Research Team, the Weinkove Lab is investigating ways to improve the effectiveness and safety of CAR T-cells, with a view to expanding the therapy to other diseases.

Research areas
  • CAR T-cell therapy
  • Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell clinical trials
  • Development of new CAR T-cell constructs
  • Functional and genetic characterisation of CAR T-cells
Research projects
  • ENABLE phase 1 CAR T-cell trial (NCT0409513)
  • Characterisation of transgene number and sites of CAR T-cells
  • Development of CAR T-cell safety switches
Collaborations

Dr Rachel Perret

Team Leader - Weinkove Laboratory

Dr Nathaniel Dasyam

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Dr Patricia Rubio-Reyes

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Featured publications

Fyfe R, Anstis O, Kapadia K, Jordan M, Sword DO, Weinkove R. Experiences and perspectives on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy among recipients, carers and referrers (RE-TELL): a qualitative study to inform CAR T-cell service design.

BMJ Open. 2024 Jan 23;14(1):e071112.

Nouri Y, Weinkove R, Perret R (2021). T-cell intrinsic Toll-like receptor signaling: implications for cancer immunotherapy and CAR T-cells. J Immunother Cancer. 9(11):e003065

George P, Dasyam N, Giunti G, Mester B, Bauer E, Andrews B, Perera T, Ostapowicz T, Frampton C, Li P, Ritchie D, Bollard CM, Hermans IF, Weinkove R (2020). Third-generation anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cells incorporating a TLR2 domain for relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma: a phase I clinical trial protocol (ENABLE). BMJ Open.10(2):e034629 

Weinkove R, George P, Dasyam N, McLellan AD (2019) Selecting costimulatory domains for chimeric antigen receptors: functional and clinical considerations. Clin Transl Immunology 8(5):e1049

Research highlights