SCIENCE
T-sphaeraᵀᴹ

SCIENCE

T-sphaeraᵀᴹ

T-sphaera Platform for Drug Innovation

We are developing a next-generation protein drug platform, T-sphaera, based on Apoferritin (the iron-free form of ferritin*). Apoferritin has a naturally stable nanoparticle structure, which we engineer to enhance its therapeutic potential as a targeted functional protein. Leveraging this innovative platform, we are committed to developing precise and effective anticancer therapeutics, aiming to provide superior treatment options for patients.

* Ferritin is a globular, nanometer-scale protein that plays a crucial physiological role in the human body by storing and releasing iron (Fe) as needed. It is widely distributed across various tissues and interacts with specific cellular receptors, making it a biologically important and versatile molecule.

* Ferritin is a globular, nanometer-scale protein that plays a crucial physiological role in the human body by storing and releasing iron (Fe) as needed. It is widely distributed across various tissues and interacts with specific cellular receptors, making it a biologically important and versatile molecule.

Key Characteristics of T-sphaera

  • · Three-dimensional nanosphere formed by self-assembly of 24 subunits
  • · Uniform and hollow spherical structure with diameter of approximately 12 nm
  • · Highly stable structure that remains intact under elevated temperature (40-60℃) and broad pH range (pH 4-10)
  • · Ideal biomaterial platform due to its ability to retain structural integrity even after surface display of antigens, peptides, or other functional proteins

T-sphaera : A Cutting-Edge Plug-and-Play Platform for Drug Development

Our core technology, T-sphaera, is a spherical protein composed of 24 identical subunits derived solely from the heavy chains of native human ferritin. To reduce undesired binding to the transferrin receptors, we introduced specific mutations that diminish its affinity for these receptors. On this optimized T-sphaera Platform, we graft various binding epitopes—such as nanobody, affibody, monobody, α-helical domains, functional peptides/domains—onto multiple surface regions, including the N-terminus, C-terminus, and loop regions. This modular engineering enables rapid and flexible incorporation of diverse targeting moieties, making T-sphaera a plug-and-play therapeutic platform adaptable to various targets and disease indications. As a result, T-sphaera can function as a targeted anti-cancer therapeutic with antibody-like binding properties, while maintaining the low immunogenicity inherent to human-derived proteins.

Key Advantages of T-sphaera-based
Drug Development Platform

1

Modular Plug-and-Play Platform

T-sphaera is a versatile platform with high flexibility, allowing for the easy discovery of diverse therapeutics by simply grafting functional domains such as antibody CDRs, peptides, or ligands onto the surface of T-sphaera.

 2

Multivalent Binding for Easy Targeting

The 24-mer structure of T-sphaera provides 24 antigen-binding sites, enabling strong multivalent interactions which are especially advantageous for targeting cells with low antigen expression.

 3

Optimized Drug Platform

As a human-derived nano-biomaterial, T-sphaera offers inherently low immunogenicity and a favorable safety profile. Through protein engineering, T-sphaera has been further optimized for drug development, including improved PK profile and reduced binding to the transferrin receptor (TfR1), minimizing undesired tissue uptake and enhancing its therapeutic potential.

 4

High Structural Stability & Various Expression Systems

T-sphaera’s robust nanostructure supports diverse conjugation strategies (e.g., ADCs), and we leverage the efficiency of E. coli expression for faster and more cost-effective development. For the commercial development, we have flexibility in utilizing either E. coli or CHO systems depending on the optimal path forward.

T-sphaera Characterization

*TfR: Transferrin Receptor
Improved Binding Ability due to Multivalency

Leveraging our proprietary T-sphaera platform, we are advancing two distinct therapeutic modalities: one based on engineering the surface of T-sphaera and the other utilizing its internal hollow cavity.

TSMT (T-sphaera Multivalency Therapy) leverages multivalent target engagement to achieve enhanced avidity and receptor clustering, enabling superior therapeutic activity compared with conventional antibody-based therapeutics.

Our drug conjugate approach enables versatile payload delivery through both conventional linker-based conjugation and linker-free payload encapsulation within the internal cavity of the ferritin nanosphere, providing greater flexibility beyond conventional ADC architectures.