Synpromics Unveils Next Generation Liver Selective and Tunable Promoter Platform

EDINBURGH, Scotland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Synpromics is today unveiling its novel drug-regulatable promoter platform at the European Society of Cell and Gene Therapy (ESGCT) congress in Lausanne, Switzerland. The company is showcasing data generated from its innovative liver inducible and repressible synthetic promoter systems that are tightly controlled by FDA-approved small molecule drugs.

Synpromics has focused on creating a promoter system that is controlled solely by the presence of small molecules, either inducers or repressors, without the use of a trans-activator which is usually required to mediate the desired effect. The company has used its PromPT^® platform to identify endogenous tissue specific transcription machinery that can tightly control gene expression when used in combination with an inducer or repressor. The simple mechanisms identified have several advantages over the currently-used two component system, including decreased size and ease of use.

Dr Michael Roberts, CSO and Founder of Synpromics, said: “The creation of drug-inducible and repressible promoters is the ultimate goal of gene therapy, as it should allow accurate and tunable control of the target therapeutic gene. We have significantly advanced our platform by creating a regulatable system that does not rely on the co-expression of other immunogenic regulatory proteins, a limitation that restricts the use of other regulatable promoter systems in gene therapy.”

Synpromics is presenting this development in a poster at the ESGCT congress which describes an inducible system where increased concentrations of the inducer drug result in higher levels of gene expression, and a repressible system where a particular drug concentration can effectively silence the promoter. This tunable system looks set to revolutionise the sector, by enabling tighter regulation of any given therapeutic gene in all manner of liver-targeted gene therapies.

Ends

Notes to Editors

About Synpromics

Synpromics is the leader in gene control, improving human health by enabling safer, more effective cell and gene medicines through proprietary genomics, bioinformatics and intelligent data-driven design. The Company has developed PromPT^®, its multi-dimensional bioinformatics database, that enables product-specific promoter design and selection empowering the next generation of cell and gene based medicines and bioprocessing applications. The company operates in a diverse range of fields, including broad applications in cell and gene based medicine, biologics manufacturing and viral vector bioprocessing. Current partners include Audentes, Biomarin, uniQure, AGTC, Solid Biosciences, Homology Medicines Inc, Adverum Biotechnologies, GE Healthcare and Sartorius-Stedim Cellca, as well as numerous undisclosed partners in the pharmaceutical sector.

About synthetic promoters

Naturally occurring promoters have evolved for biological functions but have limitations when utilised in industrial or therapeutic applications. Synthetic promoters with DNA sequences not found in nature are designed to better regulate gene activity and precisely control protein production. Synpromics creates highly specific promoters designed to drive gene expression at the desired level and specificity in any cell type, tissue or environmental condition. Each synthetic promoter represents a novel invention and thus can be patented.

For more information visit www.synpromics.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181017005350/en/