Project summary
Developing hardware for gene delivery.
What is the issue?
The impact of gene therapies will be similar to that of antibiotics seen during the last century. In the near term, gene therapies will provide cures for most cancer cases that would otherwise be terminal, with minimal side effects. In the long term, gene therapies will be applied to other indications such as rare disease and autoimmune disorders.
Current price tags for a cure are higher than the average house in Sydney, and lead times may be too long for patients with an aggressive condition.
For a patient, a typical treatment will involve having blood taken, sent to a facility where immune cells are reprogrammed, before they are reinfused weeks or months later. At this facility, engineered viruses are typically used to deliver new genetic material into a few cells before they are cultured to obtain a quantity suitable to treat a patient. This is a lengthy process and risks associated with it mean that the patient will need to be monitored for up to 15 years after treatment.
What does the technology aim to do?
Indee Labs is developing hardware for gene delivery. The hardware is uniquely positioned for the efficient development and scalable manufacturing of gene-modified cell therapies (gene therapies).
Indee Labs technology uses a mechanical method to deliver genetic material (constructs) into cells as an alternative to viruses. Cells and constructs are passed through a microfluidic chip, which uses microfluidic vortex shedding (μVS) to disrupt the cell membrane allowing new genes to enter. The process is fast, efficient and very gentle on cells. Importantly, it is the only manufacturing technology that has the scale to meet demand for patients who will need a gene therapy in the future.
Ultimately, the technology will make gene-modified cell therapies accessible to the masses.
Company contact
Dr Warren McKenzie
warren@indeelabs.com
www.indeelabs.com/about-us/
0400 059 509