Collaboration formed for development of novel gene therapies for blood-based disorders

Gene control company, Synpromics, has announced it will collaborate with the University College London (UCL) Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health for the development of novel gene therapies for pathologies affecting the haematopoietic system.

Through this collaboration, Synpromics will further build on its activities in the gene and cell therapy sector and will enable the company to integrate its technology into the next generation of gene-based medicines.

This specific partnership will involve Professor Adrian Thrasher’s clinical research group at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. It will aim to develop synthetic tissue-specific promoters for use in the specialised cells of the immune system including lymphoid, myeloid and microglia cells. Also, output from this work will have direct applications to further improve CAR-T therapy.

“We are tremendously excited to be working with Adrian Thrasher and Dr Giorgia Santilli from UCL. Our technology is particularly suitable for developing gene and cell therapies for blood-based disorders,” said Dr Michael Roberts, founder and CSO of Synpromics. “We’re able to design promoters that are active in any cellular lineage of the haematopoietic system by leveraging the subtle changes in transcription profiles that are evident in the different cell populations present in the blood. By embarking on this collaboration, we aim to develop a portfolio of promoters that have broad applications in multiple disease indications.”

Professor Adrian Thrasher added: “Developing tools for gene therapy of devastating rare disease is our core business. We are therefore really delighted to enter this scientific collaboration with Synpromics in order to maximise the breadth and efficacy of our therapies.”