Under the partnership, both the companies will combine their expertise in cellular reprogramming to address the challenges around deriving non-viral, non-integrating, clinically-relevant induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for use in regenerative medicine, drug discovery, and basic research.
Traditional reprogramming methods can lead to the integration of unwanted genetic material into the host genome and therefore can be disruptive to the reprogrammed cell’s function.
Targeted genome engineering is a technology, which can be utilized to sort out the genetic basis of diseases and to evaluate drug candidates through the generation of cell-based assays.
Cellectis bioresearch’s TALENTM-based genome engineering technology enables the directed introduction of disease-specific genetic mutations to mimic disease and of reporter genes with fluorescent/luminescent tags to evaluate drug candidate efficacy, specificity and toxicity.
Both the technologies aim to find the way for clinically-relevant applications in regenerative medicine.
Cellectis Group CEO André Choulika said, "The collaboration between Stemgent and Cellectis fits with our mission to enable scientists worldwide with the tools to generate genome-engineered iPS cells for use in their research and regenerative medicine."