Isogenis' product development exploits the veto effect:

- The veto phenomenon was first found about 20 years ago. In the last 20 years numerous basic experiments and pre-clinic transplantation studies in mice and primates have attested to its potency. More recently, evidence of the effectiveness of veto has been provided from clinical studies in which the function of 'facilitator cells' was examined. Steady progress has been made in understanding veto. Veto is the one of the best characterized and best understood inhibitory effects presently known, not withstanding its unpublicized nature. The mechanism of veto immune inhibition has been carefully characterized as the triggering of the MHC class I molecules by the CD8 veto molecule during immune recognition. Isogenis and others have determined that veto does not simply result in the inhibition of the responsive immune cell, but in its death. Because of this unique cause of action, veto has the ability entirely to remove all the unwanted immune cells without affecting normal protective functions of the immune system.

- Veto has not yet been introduced into the clinic: In the transplant situation, naturally occurring veto depends on the infusion of donor-derived cell populations derived either from the peripheral blood (veto T cells) or from the bone marrow (facilitator cells). Naturally occurring veto has numerous barriers: (i) It requires individualized cell enrichment protocols. (ii) In the case of cadaveric organ donors, naturally occurring veto cells are not available. (iii) The transfer of naturally occurring veto T cells could result in diseases in the recipient (graft-versus-host-diseases). Isogenis' engineered veto overcomes these barriers allowing a swift introduction to clinical practice. Inhibition of transplant rejection is the best understood application of veto. It is the proof-of-concept. It is well established that veto is highly specific in its activity and can be used to remove immune responses with pinpoint accuracy. Isogenis' scientists have found that this precision can be packaged into a viral particle. Therefore, engineered veto will be crucial for the design of novel gene therapy vectors and the treatment of autoimmune diseases. This will extend the application of veto as well as its understanding.