GenScript and Avectas Partner to Develop Improved Non-Viral Cell Therapy Manufacturing Process
By combining Avetas’ technology and know-how in cell engineering with GenScript’s expertise in the production of synthetic long oligos, the partnership aims to demonstrate a new and efficient solution for the manufacture of cell therapy and to improve the editing efficiency and cell viability compared to traditional delivery methods.
Non-viral CRISPR-based gene-editing methods have gained popularity among research teams following concerns about the FDA’s recent draft guidelines on the use of viruses for gene and cell therapy. GenScript collaborates with academic and industrial partners in the development of non-viral CRISPR gene editing to enable next-generation gene and cell therapy R&D projects.
Intracellular delivery is integral to the generation of designed ex vivo cell therapies, including genome editing approaches. But the limitations of current delivery modalities, both viral and non-viral, have led Avectas to develop the non-viral cell engineering technology SOLUPORE, which enables the efficient delivery of cargoes into cells for the development of new generation.
Research teams will apply SOLUPORE technology to permeabilize the target cell membrane so that modified cargoes can be delivered while maintaining very high levels of cell viability and functionality. GenCRISPR synthetic ssRNA and Cas9 protein are then complexed into a ribonucleic protein that is co-delivered with GenExact ssDNA HDR templates into the cell nucleus.
“GenScript is delighted to partner with Avectas in our program to develop novel RNP and oligo delivery systems for non-viral cell engineering,” said Ray Chen, PhD, President of GenScript USA Life. ScienceGroup. “We hope this method will provide our customers with more comprehensive solutions for efficient gene editing using our GenCRISPR sgRNA and ss/dsDNA HDR models.”
“Avectas is thrilled to partner with GenScript to combine its innovative editing tools with our SOLUPORE delivery platform,” said Michael Maguire, PhD, CEO of Avectas. “This will enable the development of next-generation cell therapies differentiated by the quality of engineered cells, which retain high post-process viability, functionality and proliferation.”
