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Somagenetix

Gene therapy solutions for patients with severe inherited diseases

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Potential

Somagenetix is seeking to develop a treatment that allows for the isolation of patient stem cells from bone marrow, the addition of a therapeutic gene using lentiviral vectors to compensate for a congenital gene defect, and transplantation of the gene-corrected cells back into the patient.

Project Description

Gene therapy is a promising field in medicine that is experiencing unprecedented dynamic development. Unlike the majority of drugs on the market, which merely treat symptoms, this approach attempts to correct the underlying genetic cause of a disease and thereby cure patients. Somagenetix seeks to harness the power of gene therapy to develop treatments for life-threatening diseases.

The first aim is to address an inborn immunodeficiency of phagocytes, which can lead to life‐threatening bacterial and fungal infections as well as to hyperinflammation. Life expectancy in affected children and young adults is compromised, and the disease burden is high. To date, the only curative option is to transplant blood-building stem cells from donors. In the absence of a compatible donor, the patient’s own stem cells can be gene corrected. Somagenetix is developing a treatment that comprises isolation of patient stem cells from bone marrow, the addition of a therapeutic gene using lentiviral vectors to compensate for the inborn genetic defect, and transplantation of gene-corrected cells back into the patient.

In later phases, the aim would be to apply this platform technology to cure other monogenetic defects found in various diseases of the immune system, as well as in other fields of medicine.

Contact

Oleksandr Pastukhov
Project Leader
oleksandr.pastukhov@wysszurich.ch

Oleksandr pastukhov portrait

Faculty Mentor

Janine Reichenbach

Portrait Somagenetix mentor reichenbach 560

Partners and Funding

  • Uniscientia Stiftung, CRPP
  • ImmuGene (MeF of UZH)

Achievements

10/2021
GLP studies start

GLP studies start

08/2019
Wyss Zurich admission

Somagenetix is accepted as full project at Wyss Zurich.

01/2019
Somagenetix AG incorporation

The UZH spin-off is incorporated under the name Somagenetix AG. 

Core Team

Oleksandr pastukhov portrait

Oleksandr Pastukhov

Project Leader

Panagiotis tsapogas portrait

Panagiotis Tsapogas

Preclinical Project Manager

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