Unique CAR-T serial killing dynamics revealed using VivaCyte novel assay

• Single-cell functional profiling of CD33 targeting adapter UniCAR-T cells 

• Research on next generation cell-based IO therapies recognized among Top 150 abstracts at SITC 2025

Bologna, Italy – 4 November, 2025 — Cellply S.r.l., a leader in innovative cellular analysis solutions, announced the successful deployment of its VivaCyte platform for functional profiling of novel engineered CD33 targeting adapter UniCAR-T immune cells.  

Data from the study are being presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 40th Annual Meeting at National Harbor, MD, on 5-9 November 2025, by Hector Caballero, Scientist at Cellply.  The research has been recognized as one of the top 150 abstracts being presented. 

The resulting data offered an unprecedented look at the tumor-targeting behavior of UniCAR-T cells redirected against CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. In addition to confirming functional heterogeneity and the presence of cytolytic CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ subsets, the team were able to identify a rare but potent subset of “serial killer” UniCAR-T cells, capable of eliminating more than 10 tumor cells each.   

“VivaCyte has provided a new lens into the single-cell functional dynamics of adapter CAR-T cells, revealing functional subsets that may be critical for therapeutic success,” commented Hector Caballero, Scientist at Cellply. “We are honored by SITC’s recognition of our work and excited to share our findings with the global immunotherapy community.” 

Dr Laura Rocchi, Head of Biology at Cellply added: “These data once again highlight the flexibility and value of the VivaCyte platform in advancing the understanding of cell therapy mechanisms to enable rapid and cost-effective development of next-generation immunotherapies.” 

Developed at the Department of Radioimmunology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, UniCAR-T cells can be readily engineered to target specific cancer types, like the CD33-positive AML model here reported. The work has been carried out within the Oncoprotools European project. 

Authored by Hector Caballero Gonzalez, Laura Rocchi, Claudia Arndt, Hugo Boutier, Liliana Loureiro, Michael Bachmann, Anja Feldmann, and Massimo Bocchi, “Single cell functional profiling reveals serial killing dynamics of CD33-targeting adapter UniCAR-T cells”, research paper #205, will be presented at SITC on 07 November 2025.  

About Cellply 

Cellply is a biology-focused deep tech company developing analytical tools to unravel the complexity of the immune system. The purpose is to enable rapid development of new immunotherapies and cell-based therapies with enhanced potency and persistence. 

Enhancing understanding of the complex machinery behind immune and cancer cells is what drives the team of seasoned engineers and expert biologists.. Headquartered in Bologna, Italy, Cellply is creating state-of-the-art analytical solutions capable of robustly characterizing these exciting therapeutic modalities at single-cell resolution. 

Cellply has combined patented microfluidic technology, AI-powered automated image analysis capabilities, automation and dedicated software to create its flagship product VivaCyte®. Operating at the single-cell level, VivaCyte is a standalone platform  that that performs in-depth analyses across the entire cell therapy development cycle, from discovery through process development and quality control. 

Focused on supporting the R&D of cell therapies today, tomorrow its ambition is to dramatically reduce cost and complexity of quality control for these innovative therapies. 

To find out more visit: cellply.com