A biotechnology startup is working with Lankenau Institute for Medical Research to develop nanotherapeutics for cancer and eye diseases in the latest in a series of collaborations forged by the suburban Philadelphia company.
Genisphere, a Hatfield, Pennsylvania company, develops nanotechnology for therapeutic and diagnostic applications, positioning it on the edge of an emerging life science sector called thernostics. The area of personalized medicine combines diagnostics and therapeutics and uses DNA to predict a patient’s response to a drug.
It has developed a therapeutic delivery system, 3DNA dendrimer, using a DNA mesh attached with thousands of molecules, to target ovarian, cervical, prostate and pancreatic cancer, according to a company statement.
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Lankenau also wants to use the therapeutic delivery to go after cells that cause post cataract surgery eye lesions. Earlier this year, Genisphere and Lankenau initiated a collaboration to develop better tools to diagnose Crohn’s disease and ulcerative collitis.
Genisphere is also developing nanoparticles to improve the sensitivity of lateral flow diagnostics. Pregnancy tests are the most commonly known type of lateral flow assay, others can include avian flu, substance abuse, HIV and respiratory disease. The idea is that it could inject new life into different types of point of care lateral flow assays that currently are not sensitive enough to be effective.
