SOLID TUMOR CELL THERAPY
We seed a mini-immune system inside the tumor to destroy cancer from within.
Defiant Therapeutics, a spinout of the Wyss Institute at Harvard, is developing ReCharge, a non-engineered cell therapy designed to seed a miniature immune system inside solid tumors and help the patient’s own immune system coordinate an anti-cancer response within the tumor and beyond. Our lead program targets platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, with the platform designed to extend across other solid tumors.
The underlying research at the Wyss Institute has been supported by more than $5.4M in non-dilutive funding, including the ARPA-H SPRINT for Women’s Health program.
What we are building
Single-injection therapy
An intratumoral approach designed to form a miniature immune system directly at the cancer site.
Faster manufacturing
A non-engineered autologous cell therapy workflow targeting treatment readiness in days, not weeks.
Platform potential
A platform approach being developed across solid tumor indications where durable immune activation is needed.
How ReCharge works
Solid tumors can suppress immune activity and prevent immune cells from mounting an effective response. ReCharge is designed to create a miniature immune system—technically, a tertiary lymphoid structure—directly inside the tumor, providing a local base of operations for the patient’s own immune system. Using the patient’s own cells without genetic engineering, ReCharge is being developed as a faster, simpler cell therapy platform with potential across solid tumors.
Scientific foundation
ReCharge builds on peer-reviewed research from co-founder Girija Goyal on engineering human lymphoid follicles.
iScience, 2026
Zhai Y, et al. (Goyal, co-senior author). In vitro recapitulation of intramuscular mRNA vaccination with naive and recall antigens using a human lymphoid follicle chip platform.
Advanced Science, 2022
Goyal G, et al. Ectopic Lymphoid Follicle Formation and Human Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Responses Recapitulated in an Organ-on-a-Chip.
Team
Co-founder & CEO
Sam is a scientist, entrepreneur, and company builder with experience translating academic platform technologies into venture-backed businesses. He co-founded ReadCoor, which was acquired by 10x Genomics, and led business development and partnership efforts for a portfolio of technologies at the Wyss Institute.
Co-founder & CSO
Girija is an immunologist, bioengineer, and inventor of the technology underlying ReCharge. At the Wyss Institute, she has led the development of human immune-tissue models and bioinspired therapeutic approaches spanning lymphoid biology, infectious disease, and cancer.