Immune organs for solid tumors
Building immune organs to fight cancer from within.
Defiant is developing ReChargeTM, an injectable platform designed to form immune organs inside tumors. Its antigen-agnostic approach enables use across solid tumors. Our first preclinical program targets platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.
ReChargeTM
Designed to organize both the attack on the tumor and lasting immune memory.
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A patient’s own immune cells
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A supportive gel formulation
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Injection into a tumor
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An immune organ forms inside the tumor
Illustration of the intended ReCharge approach. In preclinical development.
The science
Immunity works through organization.
Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are immune organs that form inside some tumors. Like lymph nodes, they give immune cells a place to learn and work together. In several studied cancer cohorts, TLS have been associated with longer survival and better response to immunotherapy.
ReCharge combines a supportive gel with the patient’s own immune cells and is designed to form TLS at the tumor.
Its antigen-agnostic design aims to engage many tumor antigens at once.
Organized immune architecture
A supportive environment designed to help immune cells organize and work together.
Local delivery
An injectable formulation designed for delivery at an accessible tumor site using standard clinical procedures.
The patient’s own cells
An autologous approach using a patient’s immune cells, without genetic engineering.
Platform & lead program
A platform for solid tumors.
PRECLINICAL DEVELOPMENT
Our broader goal is to expand the same platform across solid-tumor types.
We are starting with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, where women urgently need new options.
Advancing toward clinical testing.
Our next planned stage is a Phase 1 clinical trial, subject to regulatory clearance and further financing.
Research foundation
Built on human immune biology.
Our approach builds on research at Harvard’s Wyss Institute into how human immune cells organize into lymphoid structures.
Human lymphoid follicles in laboratory models ↗
Advanced Science · 2022
Human immune organization and influenza vaccine responses.
Modeling mRNA vaccine responses ↗
iScience · 2026
An in vitro model for studying human vaccine responses.
These studies examine human immune organization and vaccine responses in laboratory models.
Intellectual property
Defiant Therapeutics holds an option to negotiate an exclusive license with Harvard University for the core technology underlying the ReCharge platform.
Our team
Science and company-building experience.
Sam Inverso, PhD
Co-founder & CEO
Scientist, entrepreneur and company builder. Co-founded ReadCoor, acquired by 10x Genomics, and led business development and partnerships at Harvard’s Wyss Institute.
Girija Goyal, PhD
Co-founder & CSO
Immunologist, bioengineer, and inventor of ReCharge. Her research focuses on human immune tissue and lymphoid biology. She developed the foundational technology at Harvard’s Wyss Institute, supported by ARPA-H funding, before co-founding Defiant to drive commercialization.
Connect with Defiant.
For research, development and general inquiries.