Dispatch Bio Showcases SEND-Based T Cell Armoring Approach at the ASGCT 2026 Annual Meeting
Dispatch Bio has announced the presentation of new preclinical data highlighting its innovative SEND (Synthetic Efficacy eNableD) T cell armoring strategy at the upcoming American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 2026 Annual Meeting, scheduled to take place from May 11–15, 2026, in Boston. The findings represent a significant step forward in the company’s efforts to develop next-generation immunotherapies capable of addressing the persistent challenges associated with treating solid tumors.
The data will be shared in a scientific poster titled “SEND – A T cell armoring strategy that incorporates simultaneous signaling through multiple pathways for optimized safety and efficacy via novel cell state.” The presentation is set for May 14 during an evening poster session, where researchers and industry stakeholders will have the opportunity to review and discuss the results in detail.
At the core of this announcement is Dispatch Bio’s proprietary SEND platform, a novel approach designed to enhance the functionality of engineered T cells. T cell therapies, including CAR T and TCR-based treatments, have shown remarkable success in certain hematologic cancers but have faced significant limitations when applied to solid tumors. One of the primary obstacles is the tumor microenvironment, which often suppresses immune activity and limits the effectiveness of therapeutic T cells.
Traditional strategies to improve T cell performance have focused on introducing supportive cytokine signals. However, these approaches often involve tradeoffs. Enhancing one aspect of T cell function—such as proliferation—can come at the expense of persistence or effector activity, ultimately limiting therapeutic outcomes. SEND is designed to overcome these limitations by enabling simultaneous activation of multiple signaling pathways within the same cell.
This is achieved through a synthetic cytokine receptor engineered to coordinate diverse intracellular signaling processes. By integrating these signals, SEND aims to create a new, optimized T cell state that balances expansion, durability, and anti-tumor activity. According to the company, this multi-pathway approach represents a departure from conventional methods and could redefine how engineered T cells are designed and deployed.
Preclinical data presented by Dispatch Bio indicate that SEND-armored T cells outperform current benchmarks in challenging solid tumor models. In in vivo studies, SEND-enhanced CAR T cells demonstrated robust anti-tumor activity, achieving complete tumor clearance even at relatively low doses. This level of efficacy is particularly notable given the difficulty of treating solid tumors, which often exhibit resistance to immunotherapy due to factors such as immune suppression, physical barriers, and heterogeneous antigen expression.
Equally important, the therapy showed a favorable safety profile across all tested dose levels. The studies reported a therapeutic window exceeding 200-fold, suggesting that SEND-armored T cells can deliver potent anti-tumor effects while maintaining tolerability. This balance between efficacy and safety is a critical consideration in the development of cell-based therapies, where excessive immune activation can lead to severe adverse events.
Another key finding from the preclinical research is the ability of SEND-armored T cells to function effectively both with and without lymphodepleting chemotherapy. In many current CAR T therapies, patients must undergo lymphodepletion prior to treatment to create a more favorable environment for the infused cells. While effective, this step can add complexity, cost, and potential toxicity to the treatment process. The observation that SEND-enabled T cells retain activity without this requirement could significantly expand treatment options and improve accessibility for patients.
Further insights were gained through single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of tumor-infiltrating SEND-armored CAR T cells. The results revealed a unique and previously unreported cellular state characterized by the simultaneous expression of effector and memory gene programs within the same cell. This dual profile suggests that the engineered T cells can achieve robust expansion and immediate anti-tumor activity while also maintaining the capacity for long-term persistence.
Importantly, the data also indicated that these cells do not exhibit signs of exhaustion, a common limitation in T cell therapies where prolonged activation leads to diminished function. Instead, SEND-armored T cells demonstrated controlled, antigen-dependent activity, expanding in response to tumor presence and contracting after tumor clearance. This behavior supports a more regulated immune response and may contribute to an improved safety profile.
Company leadership emphasized the broader implications of these findings. Lex Johnson, Co-Founder and Chief Platform Officer, highlighted that traditional single-cytokine approaches often force compromises between key T cell functions. SEND, by contrast, is designed to eliminate these tradeoffs by orchestrating multiple signaling pathways simultaneously, resulting in what he described as a fundamentally new T cell state with the potential for best-in-class performance.
Chief Scientific Officer Barbra Sasu noted that the SEND platform could have wide-ranging applications across various engineered T cell modalities. These include autologous CAR T therapies, in vivo CAR T approaches, and T cell receptor (TCR)-based treatments. The versatility of the platform suggests that it could serve as a foundational technology for enhancing multiple types of immunotherapy, rather than being limited to a single product or indication.
The broader vision articulated by Dispatch Bio is to develop a universal treatment approach for solid tumors, leveraging its Flare platform and complementary technologies like SEND. By addressing the key limitations that have historically hindered T cell therapies in solid tumors, the company aims to expand the reach of immunotherapy and improve outcomes for a larger population of cancer patients.
The presentation at the ASGCT 2026 Annual Meeting will provide an important opportunity for the scientific community to evaluate these findings and consider their implications for the future of cell therapy. As the field continues to evolve, innovations like SEND highlight the ongoing efforts to refine and optimize immune-based treatments, moving closer to the goal of delivering safe, effective, and durable therapies for patients with cancer.
In summary, Dispatch Bio’s latest preclinical data underscore the potential of its SEND T cell armoring strategy to overcome longstanding challenges in solid tumor immunotherapy. By enabling coordinated multi-pathway signaling and creating a novel T cell state, the platform offers a promising avenue for enhancing both the efficacy and safety of engineered T cell therapies.
About Dispatch Bio
Dispatch Bio was founded with a bold purpose: to help create a world where all cancer patients can be cured. To achieve this, the company is engineering a universal treatment across solid tumors, leveraging its first-in-class Flare platform. This novel approach combines the strengths of immunotherapy with a tumor-specific virus, both engineered to clear tumor cells with precision and power. Dispatch has operations in Philadelphia and San Francisco, with access to world-class researchers.
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