[Edaily Reporter NA EUN-KYUNG ] Bertis, a proteomics technology platform company, announced on the 3rd that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GC CELL(144510)(GC Cell), a company specializing in cell and gene therapies, to identify and validate new targets and target combinations and to develop cell therapies.

Through this MOU, the two companies will establish a research and development partnership by integrating Bertis’ AI-based drug target discovery and validation platform, “SURF,” with GC CELL’s cell therapy development capabilities. The scope of the collaboration ranges from the discovery and validation of new targets and target combinations to the development of cell therapy candidates—such as chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cells and chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells—as well as follow-up research and commercialization efforts.

SURF, currently under development by Bertis, is a platform that combines proteomics analysis with AI technology to identify new targets among proteins present on the cell surface that can be utilized for therapeutic development. Bertis uses SURF to identify new targets and novel combinations of existing targets, and analyzes and validates the expression characteristics of candidates and the suitability of target combinations to select targets with potential for application in cell therapy development. Based on this, GC CELL will design cell therapy candidates, such as CAR-NK and CAR-T, and evaluate their potential for development as therapeutics. Subsequently, the two companies plan to finalize details for follow-up joint research and jointly explore commercialization opportunities, including the integration of preclinical and clinical development as well as technology transfer. The specific scope of research and terms of implementation will be determined through subsequent discussions.

This agreement is significant in that it establishes a collaborative foundation enabling Bertis to leverage Surf’s target discovery and validation capabilities for the development of cell therapy candidates. CAR-based cell therapies, such as CAR-NK and CAR-T, are designed to attack cancer cells by introducing receptors into immune cells that recognize specific antigens on the surface of cancer cells. Accordingly, it is crucial not only to identify surface protein targets suitable for therapeutic development but also to meticulously analyze and validate their expression characteristics in both cancer cells and normal cells. In particular, even for previously known targets, the potential for developing new therapeutics can be explored depending on their combination with other targets. Through this, GC CELL is expected to broaden its options for selecting candidates for subsequent development based on new combinations of novel and existing targets.

Surface proteins are proteins located on the cell surface that exchange signals with the external environment or interact with other cells. As they can serve as targets for various therapeutic modalities—such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies, and cell therapies—their importance in the field of new drug development is growing. With the recent expansion of ADC development, the pharmaceutical industry is showing growing interest in identifying new cancer cell surface proteins beyond those already known. Since many ADC candidates are concentrated on a limited number of targets, such as HER2 and TROP2, the discovery of differentiated new targets is considered a key challenge for future drug development.

Surf, a division of Bertis, directly generates and analyzes data on surface proteins and adjacent proteins, creating a seamless workflow that spans candidate discovery, prioritization, validation, and the establishment of evidence for subsequent development. Building on the analytical and interpretive capabilities accumulated through its protein analysis service, PASS, Surf is pursuing business initiatives to secure the target evidence necessary for therapeutic development and to connect this to opportunities for joint research and technology transfer. This agreement serves as an opportunity to materialize this business direction through collaboration with a cell therapy development company, and the two companies plan to discuss the discovery and validation of targets suited to their development objectives, as well as potential for subsequent utilization.

Won Seong-yong, CEO of GC CELL, stated, “In cell therapy development, the choice of target is a critical factor that can determine the efficacy and safety of the therapy,” adding, “Through our collaboration with Bertis, we will expand our options for follow-up development candidates and explore opportunities to develop next-generation cell therapies utilizing various target combinations.”

Han Seung-man, CEO of Bertis, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with GC CELL, which possesses extensive experience ranging from cell therapy research and development to clinical development.” He added, “This agreement marks a meaningful starting point for linking Bertis’s target discovery technology with GC CELL’s therapeutic development capabilities, and we will continue to expand the scope of our collaboration to ensure that targets identified through SURF can be utilized in actual new drug development.”