Stellanova Therapeutics is developing the first cancer therapies targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their symbiotic interactions within the tumor microenvironment. The company was founded based on research out of Dr. Rosa Hwang’s lab at MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrating that targeting factors produced by stellate cells, a star-shaped subtype of CAFs present in pancreatic cancer, have the potential to both directly combat cancer and make tumor cells more vulnerable to traditional therapeutic approaches, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Stellanova means “new star”, and it is the company’s goal to establish an entirely new approach to treating cancer.