Interview with Jacques Nunès – From antibodies to CARs: how CELL-SCALE accelerates innovation in cell therapy
Marseille, 23 February 2026 – Cell therapy is one of the most rapidly evolving fields in immunotherapy. However, translating an academic discovery into a therapeutic approach remains a challenge for many laboratories. The CELL-SCALE platform, developed within Marseille Immunology Biocluster (MIB), aims to accelerate this transition.
Could you explain what CELL-SCALE and CARATS are?
CELL-SCALE is a preclinical cell therapy platform integrated into the MIB Tech research support unit within Marseille Immunology Biocluster.
Its mission is to convert antibodies from academic and industrial research into CAR constructs that can be used in effector cells, supporting partners who do not have in-house expertise in cell engineering.
The antibodies used may come from the B-SCREEN platform or from patents developed by partner academic research teams.
The platform uses standardised technologies combined with its own technological components: innovative antigen targets and cells from the adaptive or innate immune system.
CARATS is one of the first pilot projects being developed on CELL-SCALE.
It aims to evaluate three targets covered by intellectual property rights (Nectin-4, ICOS and PD-L1) using three cell types: T cells, natural killer (NK) cells and γδ T cells.
CARATS at a glance
3 targets: Nectin-4, ICOS, PD-L1
3 cell types: T cells, NK cells, γδ T cells
Objective: new immunotherapies for solid tumours
In practical terms, how can researchers use CELL-SCALE? What gap does it fill?
CELL-SCALE addresses a common challenge in academic research: turning a promising antibody into a cell therapy product requires cell engineering expertise and infrastructure that are often unavailable within individual laboratories.
The platform can take over from the candidate antibody stage and carry out all the necessary steps: scFv sequencing, genetic construct design, effector cell transduction, cell expansion and functional testing.
These steps are integrated into a coordinated workflow, enabling preclinical validation to be significantly accelerated.
Without such infrastructure, the transition to CAR-based approaches would require several years of development and involve very high costs for outsourced industrial services.
CARATS targets Nectin-4, ICOS and PD-L1. Why were these antigens and cell types selected?
The three antigens targeted by the CARATS project (Nectin-4, ICOS and PD-L1) are covered by patents. However, their selection is primarily based on their biological and clinical relevance in cancers where cell-based immunotherapies have yet to demonstrate their efficacy, such as ovarian carcinoma and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.
The approach is based on two areas of innovation.
First, the choice of effector cells: NK cells and γδ T cells, which are associated with innate immunity, have characteristics particularly suited to solid tumours. They can recognise tumour cells without major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction, infiltrate the tumour stroma more effectively and are often associated with more favourable clinical prognoses.
Second, the selection of antigen targets.
Nectin-4 is overexpressed in solid tumours and has already been clinically validated as a target in urothelial cancers through the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) Padcev®. ICOS has shown promising results, particularly in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. PD-L1, meanwhile, remains a central component of tumour immunosuppression mechanisms and a strategic target for new cell therapy approaches.
How does CARATS aim to overcome the limitations of current CAR-T therapies?
The ambition of this project is to use a CAR construct in different immune cell types. The same target could be incorporated into a standard CAR-T therapy as well as other CAR-T, CAR-NK and CAR-γδ T approaches.
What challenges does the CARATS project aim to address?
The CARATS project is still at an early stage, and the identified biological challenges have not yet been overcome. Nevertheless, it deliberately focuses on indications where current CAR-T therapies have demonstrated limitations, particularly so-called “cold” solid tumours, such as triple-negative breast cancer, as well as certain lymphomas.
Regarding ICOS, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) developed by Daniel Olive and his colleagues have already demonstrated their ability to eliminate certain forms of lymphoma. In this context, CARATS will investigate the hypothesis that a CAR-ICOS approach could provide an alternative therapeutic strategy in cases of resistance to ADCs, with the aim of expanding treatment options for these indications.
Looking three to five years ahead, what do you see as a realistic timeframe for moving from bench to bedside?
The objective is to reach an initial clinical milestone within three years, a timeframe considered realistic given the development strategy adopted.
The approach combines differentiated targets, selected for their biological and clinical relevance, with a broader range of effector cells suited particularly to the challenges posed by solid tumours.
Development will be carried out by the academic team up to the preclinical stage, before being transferred to industry partners, particularly specialised biotechnology companies, which will be responsible for larger-scale production and clinical development.
Any final thoughts?
The project is now entering a decisive strategic phase and represents an important opportunity for research teams wishing to become involved.
CARATS is exploring innovative targets (Nectin-4, ICOS and PD-L1) using unconventional effector cells such as NK cells and γδ T cells. This differentiated approach aims to open up new therapeutic possibilities in indications where current strategies have shown their limitations.
In this context, CELL-SCALE provides a major means of translating antibodies from academic research into robust proofs of concept that can be transferred to clinical development.
The project is becoming fully operational, with funding in place as of February 2026 and the recruitment of an engineer planned for May 2026.
Key takeaways
CELL-SCALE is a cell therapy platform within Marseille Immunology Biocluster. It enables promising antibodies to be converted into CAR constructs.
CARATS is the first pilot project developed on the platform.
The objective is to accelerate the development of new cell-based immunotherapies.
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