Netherton syndrome (NS) is caused by mutations in the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 5 gene (SPINK5), which encodes lympho-epithelial Kazal-type-related inhibitor (LEKTI).
Podocytes are a terminally differentiated cell type located in the glomerulus. Podocyte damage and the subsequent dysregulation of podocyte proteins have been implicated in various kidney disorders. Since gene delivery to podocytes using adeno associated vectors (AAVs) has been challenging due to various technological and physiological hurdles, investigators at Purespring Therapeutics Ltd. developed an AAV gene therapy platform that allowed for effective, specific and safe delivery of transgenes to podocytes.
CTNNB1 syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that is caused by mutations in the gene encoding β-catenin, CTNNB1, which plays a critical role in neuronal development, synapse formation and brain maturation.
Researchers from Poseida Therapeutics Inc. presented preclinical data for P-FVIII-101, a novel nonviral gene therapy being developed for the treatment of hemophilia A.
Adolore Biotherapeutics Inc. has offered an update on recent pipeline development progress as it advances nonopioid analgesic gene therapies for the treatment of chronic pain.
Investigators at Poseida Therapeutics Inc. developed P-KLKB1-101, a nonviral KLKB1 gene editing therapy, being developed for the treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE).
Researchers from Ikarovec Ltd. have presented preclinical data for the AAV8-IKC159V, the company’s lead bicistronic gene therapy being developed for the treatment of geographic atrophy, a late stage of geographic dry AMD.
The success of a vaccine, a gene editing design for an untreated disease, or achieving cell engraftment after several attempts, comes from years of accumulated basic science studies, thousands of experiments, and clinical trials. Innumerable steps precede hits in gene and cell therapies before a first-time revelation, and most of them are failures at the time. At the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) in Baltimore last week, several groups of scientists presented achievements that years ago looked impossible.
Ascidian Therapeutics Inc. recently provided preclinical data for ACDN-01, an AAV-encoded RNA exon editor targeting ABCA4, being developed for the treatment of ABCA4-related retinopathies, including Stargardt disease.