2024-07-18 12:45:12
news
By Christophe NOISETTE
Published on 18/07/2024
In the field of biotechnology, nanoparticles are mainly used as vectors. Their mission is to allow large molecules to enter cells where genetic modifications must be made. Recently developed, this field responds to the same economic logic as other biotechnologies: public research on basic concepts, creation of start-ups and patents to privatize commercial development. An example of a player in the field.
Biotechnologies have entered the field of human health with results that are still limited and controversial at the moment. One of the difficulties with these techniques is introducing biological material (often DNA) into the nucleus of human cells. For many years, researchers have been working to solve this problem. Substantial research and significant funding has been dedicated to trying to get increasingly large exogenous molecules to enter the nucleus of cells. But in the context of human health, compared to the field of plants, researchers and companies cannot ignore off-target effects and other impacts that may result from this interference.
DNA Nanobots, a company in “ point »
Nanoparticles are very small molecules, ten millionths of a meter (100 nm) in size. Basically, they are molecules made up of a few atoms (less than 100). They often have characteristics that change surface properties, including those of membranes, and therefore allow them to affect cells. The aim of this technology is therefore to spread very small molecules everywhere.
The DNA Nanobots enterprisei offers ” DNA nanoparticles » capable of carrying whatever we need to the core of the nucleus of human cells: chemotherapy molecules, vaccines, gene therapy. She talks about ” precision medicine specialized in the development of personal targeted therapies using [leur] DNA nanoparticle platform »ii. The company does not manufacture the therapeutic molecules (chemo, siRNA, protein, peptide, gene), but only the vector. Genetically modified viruses can also act as vectors, a technique that has been widely criticized. The company emphasizes that its nanoparticles are an alternative to these viral vectors. One of the people responsible for DNA Nanobots, Christopher Lucasiiiemphasis on ” current approaches to gene delivery through viruses have significant limitations, including toxicity and immunogenicity, very high manufacturing costs, […] limited tissue targeting and gene size restrictions ».
This company, on its website, states another “ types of problems » that their technology combining nanotechnology and biotechnology is to be solved: “ Gene therapy is expensive, ineffective and not tissue specific, vaccines are not cell specific leading to suboptimal performance, chemotherapy drugs have dangerous off-target effects “. She goes on to state that “ Many genetic diseases and cancers are developing effective therapeutic options that require better tissue targeting. DNA Nanobots offers a better solution by developing next-generation precision therapies ».
Another advantage of this vector, again according to its promoters, is to be able to deliver larger therapeutic molecules inside the nucleus. All of this has yet to be demonstrated and mainly helps to attract investors by touting the technology that is currently being developed. And it’s a safe bet that a new company will soon develop a new technology that will put this one behind if the development of…
Patents, licensing agreements…
To be able to use its tool, DNA Nanobots is dependent on other companies and their patents. He has signed an exclusive commercial license agreement with the University of California (Berkeley) to be able to use the Crispr/Cas9 molecular tool.
… based on public research work
Therefore, the DNA Nanobots company will use this research from the American public sector (University of California at Berkeley, Ohio University, University of California in San Francisco). This work was funded by grants, including from numerous public organizations, and private foundations (such as the Simons Foundation or the Burroughs Wellcome Fund)vi. There are other links between DNA Nanobots and American universities, in particular through Ohio University. Michael Camp, one of the managers of the company, is a professor in this university and a technical consultant in this company. The latter is at the crossroads of these increasingly interconnected environments. At Ohio University, he runs a program called “ the I-Corps@Ohio program “, which allowed” to develop more than 125 technology startup teams »vii.
This new public/private partnership, at least officially, hinges on the company’s commitment to “ partner with rare disease organizations, offering customized gene therapy solutions to address unmet medical needs ».
One of the partners is the association ” Destroy Duchenne »viii. Based in California, a person who suffers from this genetic disease, created the lawyer Elijah Stacyixin 2017. During the first annual galax organized by this organization charity » in 2023, we could note the presence of several biotechnology companies, such as Satellos Bioscience or Capricor Therapeutics. Asked GMO Inf regarding the clauses and restrictions implied by this partnership, the society and the DNA Nanobots company did not take the time to respond.
Beyond the technical questions, how feasible or not this new technology is, its real cost, there is the question of the boundary between living and non-living people. Nanotechnologies and biotechnologies, when they are ” work» together, further weaken this limit by facilitating the entry of molecules into the cell nuclei. As nanomaterials are described as potentially dangerous, it is not clear which other molecules would be associated with them, and the European Commission is considering removing the labeling of nanomaterials, we can be worried
i Website of the DNA nanobots.
ii Ibid.
iii DNA Nanobots, LLC, « Dr. Christopher Lucas, CSO & Co-Founder ».
ivEnrique Lin Xiao et al., « CRISPR-Cas9-mediated nuclear transport and genomic integration of nanostructured genes in primary human cells », Nucleic Acids Research Volume 50, Issue 3, Pages 1256–1268, February 22, 2022.
v DNA Nanobots, LLC, « Dr. Carlos Castro, Director of Innovation ».
viList in extenso: National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Innovative Genomics Institute, Simons Foundation, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Wellcome Burroughs Fund, Cancer Research Institute, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Université de Californie, San Francisco , Institut californien de médecine régénérative, National center for the advancement of translational sciences.
vii DNA Nanobots, LLC, « Dr. Michael Camp, Senior Advisor ».
viii The Society’s website Destroy Duchenne.
ix The website of the Elijah J. Stacy.
x Destroy Duchenne, « Duchenne First Annual Fall Gala 2023 »October 30, 2023.
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