Programming the Immune System to Produce Drugs

MPS I is a rare genetic disease that is incurable and lethal by age 12. Seattle-base Immusoft thinks it can harness a key part of the immune system to manufacture a missing enzyme needed to treat the disease. It represents a broader effort on the part of the company to develop a platform to treat a wide range of disease by turning immune system cells into drug factories. We spoke to Matthew Scholz, CEO of Immusoft, about the company’s work, the process for programming these cells, and how the inspiration for its approach came from the computer industry.