PerkinElmer’s SIRION Biotech business and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) have agreed to jointly develop new generation adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes gene therapy in the pancreas.
The collaboration
The collaboration combines SIRION’s AAV technology platform and expertise in viral vector development and production with CRG’s deep knowledge of genetic regulatory mechanisms. The end goal is to develop AAV vectors that target specific pancreatic cell types and contain payloads that express therapeutic genes under control of cell-specific regulatory elements. This new approach aims to increase the precision, safety, and efficacy of future AAV based gene therapies for diabetes.
Official comments
“As we look to the future of precision medicine, we are excited to collaborate with CRG on new generation AAV vector technology,” said Dr. Christian Thirion, Founder and Managing Director of SIRION. “Our hope is that our joint efforts will not only facilitate better gene therapy options for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes but also bring the life science industry closer to creating more successful and specialised gene therapies for other diseases such as neuronal disorders.”
CRG project leader Professor Jorge Ferrer, an expert in regulatory genomics and diabetes, said: “In this joint project we will leverage our development platform for regulatory elements and harness our research results on gene networks from recent years. Teaming with SIRION and translating our findings into real products and applications underscores the importance of having state-of-the art technologies and capabilities that can support others in their own endeavors.”
