Cellino and Karis Bio Partner to Develop First Nebula-Powered iPSC Therapy for Heart Disease
Cellino, a biotechnology company pioneering autonomous biomanufacturing for personalized regenerative medicine, announced its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region through a strategic collaboration with Karis Bio, a leading South Korean cell therapy biotech. The partnership aims to industrialize the world’s first clinical-stage autologous induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell therapy for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and coronary artery disease (CAD).
The collaboration is set to accelerate the development of Karis Bio’s innovative autologous iPSC-derived endothelial cell (iPSC-EC) therapy designed to generate new blood vessels in ischemic organs. Karis Bio’s first-in-human clinical study in South Korea leverages patient-specific iPSCs to restore blood flow and repair damaged tissues, offering patients a revolutionary alternative to conventional invasive procedures such as stents or bypass surgery, while eliminating the risk of immune rejection.
Cellino’s Nebula platform will enable scalable, high-quality production of autologous iPSCs, accelerating Karis Bio’s path to commercial scale. The Nebula platform is a closed-cassette, advanced biomanufacturing system that is both autonomous and deployable at the point of care, ensuring robust, reproducible, and contamination-free production. The initial phase of the collaboration focuses on industrializing autologous iPSC manufacturing, with plans to expand into Phase 2 trials through Karis Bio, USA (headquartered in Atlanta) in the U.S.
“We are excited to partner with Karis Bio to pioneer the world’s first Nebula-powered autologous iPSC therapy for peripheral artery disease,” said Nabiha Saklayen, Ph.D., CEO & Co-Founder of Cellino. “This collaboration solidifies our commitment to forging powerful alliances with the world’s leading therapeutics innovators.”
“Our inaugural first-in-human study using an autologous iPSC-derived therapy in South Korea is a pivotal advancement in regenerative medicine,” said Young-sup Yoon, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Karis Bio. “This collaboration with Cellino will mutually leverage the strengths of both organizations, using Cellino’s Nebula platform and Karis Bio’s vessel regeneration technology to pave the way for the next generation of patient-specific cardiovascular disease therapies to be delivered worldwide.”
This collaboration marks Cellino’s inaugural expansion into the Asia-Pacific region and underscores its global vision to make autologous cell therapies widely accessible. By integrating AI-driven automation, robotics, and high-throughput biomanufacturing, Cellino and Karis Bio are poised to accelerate the development of personalized regenerative medicines for patients with cardiovascular disease.
