Halvard Bönig, MD

Dr. Bönig is pursuing two largely independent research programs, one applied and one basic. 

Clinical/applied: His Cell Therapy Group is developing GMP- and EP-compatible, fully regulator-approved processes for manufacturing and testing of cell-based therapeutics, including Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs). The GMP-facility, after formal process and assay validation and regulatory approval, generates clinical trial specimen and routine clinical cell therapy products predominantly for immunotherapy and regenerative medicine. Besides technology development, T-cell based therapeutics, both primary and engineered, have been a major focus. The Department maintains partnerships with academic and commercial entities invested in cellular therapy. He is also interested in cell donor safety and ethics.

Basic research: The Hematopoietic Stem Cell Research Group is investigating stem cell-niche interactions, specifically in the context of stem cell mobilization/stem cell maintenance and disruption of leukemia stem cell-niche interactions with a view to leukemia cell eradication. Aberrant CXCR4 signaling in the context of normal and malignant hematopoiesis remains a research focus. Recent advances include pre-clinical and clinical development of a novel, highly potent CXCR4 antagonist (POL6326) and the discovery of an endogenous CXCR4 antagonist (EPI-X4) which is cleaved, in an acidic milieu, off of albumin and according to preliminary data contributes to the integrity of the mucosal barrier.