Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TOES20240522002
- Term of Validity
- 22 May 2024 - 22 May 2026
- Company's Country
- Spain
- Type of partnership
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Investment agreement
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Targeted Countries
- United States
- France
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom
- Italy
- Spain
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General information
- Short Summary
- With the aim of optimizing transfection protocols, researchers from Universitat de les Illes Balears and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have developed a broad scope chemical carrier that can package nucleic acids into nanosized particles. The invention proposes a new polymer useful as a general-purpose artificial vector (PASQUA) for the delivery of genetic material (DNA and RNA) and peptides, regardless of their size and structure.
- Full Description
-
The invention proposes a new polymer useful as a general-purpose artificial vector (pASQUA) for the delivery of genetic material (DNA and RNA) and peptides, regardless of their size and structure. It is a non-viral vector that has proven to be effective for transfection in different systems such as eukaryotic cells, single-cell parasites and bacteria. The vector’s chemical structure is squaramide-based, and it is synthesized in a single step at room temperature.
The cell transfection protocol using pASQUA only requires two steps, being the first one the formation of the polymer-nucleic acid complex followed by the incubation of these complexes with the cells to be transfected.
This protocol is one hour long in total, given the fact that 30 minutes are enough to achieve an optimal transfection efficiency, and the complexes are stable up until 4 hours after their synthesis. In addition, they are compatible with widely used culture media and they tolerate the presence of serum.
The researchers have performed successful transfection experiments using this new polymer in immortalized cell lines, as well as transformed cell lines and primary cultures. Furthermore, the efficiency of PASQUA polymer has also been tested in microorganisms such as symbiotic and asymbiotic bacteria. In addition, proof of concept experiments have validated at a laboratory scale the potential of PASQUA as a non-viral vector for multiple applications such as gene editing, vaccine delivery and gene therapy. - Advantages and Innovations
- The developed technology offers several benefits: it is efficient, enabling a broad spectrum of transfection procedures with a simple protocol; cost-effective, as the use of this polymer does not require any complex equipment or additional manipulation and can be synthesized from inexpensive, everyday lab reagents; it allows the encapsulation and subsequent transfection of various macromolecules (DNA, RNA, and peptides) regardless of their size and structure; and it represents a new alternative for performing transfection in organisms for which no efficient transfection protocol currently exists.
- Stage of Development
- Available for demonstration
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
- IPR status
- IPR applied but not yet granted
- IPR notes
- Patents applied in the United States and Europe
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
- The institutions are looking for a collaboration that leads to a commercial exploitation of the presented invention. The ideal scenario would be to reach an agreement to transfer the technology usage by a license (exclusive or non-exclusive) and to collaborate in developing the technology in a pathway towards application. However, the form, terms, and conditions of the collaboration can be openly discussed if the presented technology is of interest.
- Type and Size of Partner
- SME 50 - 249
- Big company
- Type of partnership
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Investment agreement
- Research and development cooperation agreement
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 06002005 - Genetic Engineering
- 06001009 - Gene - DNA Therapy
- 06001006 - Human vaccines
- Market keywords
- 05007002 - Pharmaceuticals/fine chemicals
- 04008 - Genetic Engineering
- Sector Groups Involved
- Health
- Targeted countries
- United States
- France
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom
- Italy
- Spain