Mitera Biosciences, a startup based in Bellevue, Washington, has raised $1.75 million in funding to develop therapeutics aimed at autoimmune diseases and organ transplant rejection. The company is emerging from stealth mode with a focus on harnessing a specific protein that plays a crucial role in the immune system, particularly during pregnancy.
Co-founder and CEO Kevin Chow emphasized the startup's mission to leverage natural biological processes to enhance immuno-tolerance. The protein, produced in both the thymus and placenta, enhances regulatory T (Treg) cells while suppressing effector T (Teff) cells, which are responsible for attacking foreign substances. Dr. Stanley Jordan, another co-founder and chief scientist, highlighted the potential of this protein as a therapeutic agent.
Mitera is working with intellectual property licensed exclusively from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The startup aims to create alternatives to traditional immunosuppressants, which often weaken patients' immune responses and can lead to serious side effects.