The Department of Genetic & Cellular Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School, nonprofit Caring Cross, and manufacturing‑platform developer Trenchant BioSystems have formed a research alliance to develop a more accessible manufacturing process for autologous gene‑modified hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) therapies targeting sickle‑cell disease and beta‑thalassemia.

The collaboration will combine UMass Chan’s expertise in blood stem‑cell biology, Caring Cross’s focus on expanding patient access to advanced medicines, and Trenchant’s automated cell‑and‑gene‑therapy (CGT) manufacturing system, AutoCell. The partners aim to create a scalable, place‑of‑care manufacturing platform that reduces facility requirements and lowers production costs.

A key differentiator of Trenchant’s platform is its use of microbubble‑based stem‑cell separation rather than standard immunomagnetic bead methods, along with a smaller physical footprint intended to simplify deployment in clinical centers.

In the first phase, UMass Chan researchers will evaluate blood products for stem‑cell isolation and integrate lentiviral vector gene‑transfer components from Caring Cross into the automated system. Following validation, Caring Cross will assess the platform’s cost structure and usability as it considers global dissemination. Both UMass Chan and Caring Cross plan to conduct preclinical studies supporting an IND submission for a Phase I/II clinical trial.

The alliance expects to hold an FDA INTERACT meeting in the first quarter of 2027 and to launch the clinical trial in the second half of that year.