Engineering the next generation of
cell and gene therapies
publications
Select publications are highlighted below. For a full publication list, please see Paperpile (with PDF files), Pubmed or Google Scholar.
Efficient nonviral integration of large transgenes into human T cells using Cas9-CLIPT
Molecular Therapy: Methods and Clinical Development
Anna Tommasi*, Dan Cappabianca*, Madison Bugel, Kirstan Gimse, Karl Lund-Peterson, Hum Shrestha, Denis Arutyunov, James A. Williams, Seshidhar Reddy Police, Venkata Indurthi, Sage Z. Davis, Muhammed Murtaza, Christian M. Capitini, Krishanu Saha. 2025 [link]
Virus-free CRISPR knockin of a chimeric antigen receptor into KLRC1 generates potent GD2-specific natural killer cells
Molecular Therapy
Keerthana Shankar, Isabelle Zingler-Hoslet, Diana M. Tabima, Seth Zima, Lei Shi, Kirstan Gimse, Matthew H. Forsberg, Varun Katta, Sage Z. Davis, Daniel Maldonado, Brittany E. Russell, Muhammed Murtaza, Shengdar Q. Tsai, Jose M. Ayuso, Christian M. Capitini, Krishanu Saha. 2025 [link]
Non-viral expression of chimeric antigen receptors with multiplex gene editing in primary T cells
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
Metabolic priming of GD2 TRAC-CAR T cells during manufacturing promotes memory phenotypes while enhancing persistence
Molecular Therapy Methods and Clinical Development
Production and characterization of virus-free, CRISPR-CAR T cells capable of inducing solid tumor regression
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
Mueller, K. P.*, Piscopo, N. J.*, Forsberg, M. H., Saraspe, L. A., Das, A., Russell, B., Smerchansky, M., Cappabianca, D., Shi, L., Shankar, K., Sarko, L., Khajanchi, N., La Vonne Denne, N., Ramamurthy, A., Ali, A., Lazzarotto, C. R., Tsai, S. Q., Capitini, C. M., & Saha, K. 2022. [link] [PDF] *equal contribution
"Editor's Pick" for October 2022
Human iPSC Modeling Reveals Mutation-Specific Responses to Gene Therapy in a Genotypically Diverse Dominant Maculopathy
The American Journal of Human Genetics
Divya Sinha*, Benjamin Steyer*, Pawan K. Shahi, Katherine P. Mueller, Rasa Valiauga, Kimberly L. Edwards, Cole Bacig, Stephanie S. Steltzer, Sandhya Srinivasan, Amr Abdeen, Evan Cory, Viswesh Periyasamy, Alireza Fotuhi Siahpirani, Edwin M. Stone, Budd A. Tucker, Sushmita Roy, Bikash R. Pattnaik, Krishanu Saha, David M. Gamm. 2020. [link]
*equal contribution
Media Coverage: UW-Madison [link]
Integrating Biomaterials and Genome Editing Approaches to Advance Biomedical Science
Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering
Amr A. Abdeen,* Brian D. Cosgrove,* Charles A. Gersbach, Krishanu Saha. 2021 [link]
*equal contribution
A biodegradable nanocapsule delivers a Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complex for in vivo genome editing
Nature Nanotechnology
Scarless Genome Editing of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells via Transient Puromycin Selection
Stem Cell Reports
Benjamin Steyer*, Qian Bu*, Evan Cory, Keer Jiang, Stella Duong, Divya Sinha, Stephanie Steltzer, David Gamm*, Qiang Chang, Krishanu Saha. 2018 [link]
*equal contribution
research
We utilize quantitative and bioengineering methods to advance the next generation of cell and gene therapies.
Genome Editing
CRISPR-Cas9, nanoparticle delivery
We develop new tools and insights into the editing of the human genome. Projects include understanding DNA repair and nanoscale assembly of nucleic acids and novel nonviral polymeric delivery agents around protein-based CRISPR systems. We are advancing two projects in the NIH Somatic Cell Genome Editing Consortium.
Biomanufacturing
Cell therapy manufacturing
Cells are living drugs that can be difficult to generate, scale-up, and quality control. Projects include monitoring and controlling the heterogeneity during gene modification and scale-up of stem cells and T cell immunotherapies (e.g., CAR T cells). We benefit from collaborations with the national Center for Cell Manufacturing.
Science and Technology Studies
Science Policy/Bioethics
We seek to understand the dynamic and heterogeneous processes by which novel bioengineered objects get embedded into law and policy. Outputs are designed to invoke reflection among practicing scientists on the social commitments behind their choices when engineering human cells, as well as to inform regulations, institutional obligations, and state policy. We leverage collaborations within Holtz STS Center, Bio+Society Collaboratory, and Forum on Regenerative Medicine.
meet our lab
Members come from several programs including biomedical engineering, biophysics, molecular biology and medicine.
Kris Saha, PhD
Associate Professor
Kathryn and Latimer Murfee Chair - Retina Research Foundation
NIH Somatic Cell Genome Editing Consortium, Co-Chair
NSF Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies, Testbed Co-lead
Ross Schwartz
Lab Manager
Srikumar Sengupta, PhD
Principal Scientist
Marcela Tabima Martinez, PhD
Principal Scientist
Kirstan Gimse, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Genome editing in the brain
NIH T32 Genome Sciences Traineeship (with Sushmita Roy)
Madeline Smerchansky
Graduate Student - Biomedical Engineering
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Lauren Sarko
Graduate Student
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology
CAR T Cell Therapies for Senescence and Neurodegeneration
NIH T32 Training Grant
Apoorva Ramamurthy
Graduate Student - Biomedical Engineering
Nina La Vonne Denne
Graduate Student - Cellular and Molecular Biology
Biotechnology Training Program
Anna Tommasi
Graduate Student
- Biomedical Engineering
GSTP Fellowship
Daniel Maldonado
Graduate Student - Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Brendan Rattin
Graduate Student, Cell and Molecular Pathology
David
Givand
Lab Technician
Khush
Patel
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Vrusha
Patel
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Giulia Scimonelli
Undergraduate Research Assistant
funding
We are supported by:
