iCell – Immune Cell Therapy of Cancer

The iCell research group at the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service’s Research and Development unit is dedicated to developing immune cell-based therapies for cancer. Led by principal investigator, group leader Helka Göös, PhD, and clinical principal investigator Mikko Keränen, MD, PhD, iCell integrates cutting-edge academic research with translational development to create next-generation cell therapies, such as CAR-T and CAR-NK cells.

iCell’s affiliation with the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service provides direct access to high-quality cell material through blood donations and the FRCBS Biobank. The group also tightly operates with the Advanced Cell Therapy Centre, enabling seamless GMP translation of research projects into clinical-grade therapies. iCell’s mission is to translate innovative research into clinically applicable therapies that will improve patient outcomes.

The group’s expertise spans the entire preclinical development pipeline, from the isolation of NK and T cells, through advanced genetic modifications such as gene knock-ins via lentiviral transduction and gene knock-outs using base editing, to efficient cell expansion and preservation. The starting material for the cells consists of surplus donor blood and cord blood. Additionally, iCell has extensive experience in designing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) targeting multiple tumor-associated antigens. To ensure therapeutic efficacy and safety, the group performs comprehensive functional analyses both in vitro and in vivo.

Principal Investigators