Imagine creating a universal 'starter kit' of cells that can be turned into cancer-fighting soldiers or blood-forming cells for any patient. Instead of using risky viruses to rewrite the genetic code, this method uses light-based pulses to precisely edit the cells. This allows doctors to keep a library of pre-made, compatible cells ready for use, rather than making a custom batch for every single person.
Current cell and gene therapies are too expensive and slow because they are made for each patient individually. Additionally, viral delivery methods can cause severe immune side effects.
A high-throughput photoporation platform for non-viral gene editing and a protocol to generate a bank of HLA-defined, CAR-expressing iPSC lines.
If you are a CAR-T therapy developer dealing with expensive and slow patient-specific production times — this project developed a non-viral gene delivery platform that enables off-the-shelf cell products. This reduces the time and cost associated with adaptive CAR T cell approaches.
If you are a stem cell therapy clinic dealing with the risk of immune rejection in gene-corrected blood stem cells — this project developed a bank of HLA-defined iPSC lines. This ensures a population-wide implementation potential across different ages, sexes, and ethnicities.
If you are a cell processing equipment manufacturer dealing with the inefficiency of viral delivery systems — this project developed a high-throughput photoporation platform. This allows for faster, non-viral gene editing of iPSCs at scale.
The project aims to reduce production costs and time by moving from patient-specific adaptive approaches to a bank of well-characterized, off-the-shelf iPSC lines.
Yes, the project is establishing a high-throughput photoporation platform designed to generate a large number of CAR expressing iPSC lines.
Based on available project data, the specific IP and licensing terms are not disclosed, though the project involves a partnership between a university and an SME.
The project period runs from 2022-11-01 to 2027-10-31, with a focus on optimizing protocols to increase the potential for clinical implementation.
It integrates by replacing viral delivery with photoporation for CRISPR-mediated, site-specific gene-editing in iPSCs.
The consortium is a lean, 2-partner collaboration based in Belgium, consisting of one university (Universiteit Gent) and one SME. With a 50% industry ratio, the project is structured to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial application, leveraging the university's biological expertise and the SME's agility.
Contact Universiteit Gent regarding the photoporation platform for iPSC editing.
Contact us to identify potential licensing opportunities for non-viral gene delivery platforms.
