BlueRock Therapeutics Establishes Key Partnerships with Leading Experts in Autoimmune Disease

- Dr. Bruce Blazar brings a wealth of knowledge as a leader in transplantation and immunobiology -

- Dr. Courtney Crane brings key expertise in myeloid cell biology and genetic engineering -

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Jan 16, 2019, 08:00 ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueRock Therapeutics, LP, an engineered cell therapy company leveraging its novel Cell+Gene platform to develop regenerative medicines for intractable diseases, today announced the establishment of partnerships with Bruce Blazar, M.D., Regents Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation at the University of Minnesota and Dr. Courtney Crane, Principal Investigator at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research at Seattle Children's Hospital.

"We are thrilled to partner with Dr. Blazar and Dr. Crane, two leading experts in autoimmune disease. These partnerships add significant scientific expertise and resources to our world-class scientific team in neurology and cardiology," said Emile Nuwaysir, Chief Executive Officer of BlueRock. "We are now well-positioned to bring multiple Cell+Gene therapies to patients with a high unmet medical need in autoimmune disease."

Dr. Bruce Blazar is a Regents Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Associate Vice President in the Office of Academic and Clinical Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He is the founding Director of the Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and the founding Director of the Center for Translational Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Blazar's lab specializes in inflammatory responses associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplants. Over the past 30+ years, his laboratory has focused on transplantation immunobiology in order to develop new therapies to improve patient health. Dr. Blazar is the author of more than 760 manuscripts, which have appeared in premier peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Blazar received his M.D. from Albany Medical College. He is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation after completing a residency and fellowship, respectively at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Courtney Crane is a Principal Investigator at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research at Seattle Children's and Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Crane's lab specifically focuses on understanding how cancer cells disarm immune cells, with the aim of developing approaches to reprogram those immune cells to elude cancer defenses. Dr. Crane has published her work on engineered macrophages in a multitude of top-tier, peer-reviewed oncology journals. Dr. Crane received her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and completed a research fellowship in the department of neurosurgery at the University of California, San Francisco.

About BlueRock Therapeutics
BlueRock Therapeutics is an engineered cell therapy company with a mission to develop regenerative medicines for intractable diseases. BlueRock's Cell+Gene platform harnesses the power of cells for new medicines across neurology, cardiology and autoimmune indications. BlueRock's cell differentiation technology recapitulates the cell's developmental biology to produce native cell therapies which are further engineered for additional function. Utilizing these cell therapies to replace damaged or degenerated tissue brings the potential to restore or regenerate lost function. BlueRock was founded in 2016 by Versant Ventures and capitalized with one of the largest-ever Series A financings in biotech history by Bayer AG and Versant. BlueRock's culture is defined by scientific innovation, the highest ethical standards and an urgency to bring transformative treatments to all who would benefit. For more information, visit www.bluerocktx.com.

Investors:
Candice Ellis, 978-879-7273
Associate Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
[email protected]

Media:
David Schull or Maggie Beller
Russo Partners, LLC
(646) 942-5631
[email protected]

SOURCE BlueRock Therapeutics