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Mimetika: Tagging Cancer Cells: Immune Victory by Mimicking Bacteria

Yale Innovation Summit 2026
05/27/2026 - 05/28/2026

Mimetika: Tagging Cancer Cells: Immune Victory by Mimicking Bacteria

We have developed a revolutionary "microscopic missile" vaccine (pHLIP-K17) to treat deadly pancreatic cancer (PDAC). It leverages the immune system's memory of common bacteria to attack tumors expressing the oncoprotein K17. A pH-targeting peptide delivers K17 antigens directly to cancer cells, forcing them to reveal themselves to a potent, pre-existing T-cell army. This creates a paradigm-shifting, off-the-shelf therapy capable of overcoming PDAC's profound immune resistance, with the potential to treat both primary and metastatic disease. We will validate that our vaccine is effective when delivered systemically (intravenously), the standard clinical route, by conducting a key preclinical study to confirm safety and tumor control in a PDAC mouse model.