Cas13(GSU)

With a distinct take on CRISPR technology, Carver Biosciences secured seed financing to support the development of RNA-targeting gene therapies aimed at RNA-based respiratory infectious diseases. The undisclosed financing will further the company’s development of bacterially derived RNA-directed RNase Cas13 to target respiratory viruses. Funds will support initial proof of concept Cas13 experiments in cells and in models of disease, the company stated. The Cas13 protein uses a short segment of RNA to guide itself to mRNA, where it cuts and destroys the mRNA in a sequence-specific fashion. The aim of CRISPR/Cas13 is to destroy these respiratory viruses and prevent them from replicating. The company explained that its gene therapies will act in concert with current vaccination and viral inhibitors to arrest the progression of infection from infections like COVID-19 or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Walter Strapps, company co-founder and CEO, told BioSpace the Cas13-based treatments are designed as an acute treatment of these respiratory viruses when vaccination and other antivirals are not stemming the infection. Strapps said Cas13 provides the company with a programmable platform that will allow it to treat multiple viral threats that are already issues of concern, as well as those that have yet to become widespread issues. He likened it to the siRNA approach used by Intellia Therapeutics, a company focused on CRISPR/Cas9 development. “We feel we’ve got a technology that is going to provide a therapeutic option for patients who have been infected with a respiratory virus and don’t have other options,” Strapps said. Carver’s Cas13 products are being designed as an inhaled treatment, so the therapeutic can get straight to the lungs, where the source of infection is located. However, Strapps noted this delivery approach is still in its early stages, and a significant amount of work needs to be conducted before it will be ready to assess in clinical trials. With the seed funding, Strapps said the company will be able to secure lab space in Boston and begin to scale the team so it can shore up the science and technology. He noted that being in Boston is something of a double-edged sword. While it’s an expensive city to set up shop, Strapps said it’s also a city ripe with talent. Once that has been done, he said the company will be in line to begin raising money in a Series A that will allow it to advance its technology toward the clinic. “The seed has allowed us to get our footing,” Strapps said. “This will allow us to get set up and expand.” Carver was founded last year by Cameron Myhrvold, an assistant professor at Princeton University who has worked on developing Cas13-based technologies for viral host RNAs since 2016, the year the protein was first discovered. According to company data, Cas13 uses sequence-specific targeting of mRNA in order to “cleave and specifically degrade” the targeted RNA. Cas13 is one of the many Cas proteins that are part of a bacterial immune system that can be used in mammalian cells. The function of Cas13 is similar to the more commonly-used Cas9, which targets DNA. “Cas13 opens up a whole new world of possibilities for targeting RNA, much like Cas9 did for targeting DNA," Myhrvold, chairman of the company’s scientific advisory board, said in a statement. “I’m particularly excited about using Cas13 to treat viral infections, as the vast majority of viruses don’t have FDA-approved therapies or vaccines.”

June 22, 2022 12:30 UTC Launch of Termeer Scholars Program Will Support Biomedical Researchers and Bring Emerging Talent into the Foundation’s Network of Biotech Innovators BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Termeer Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on connecting life science innovators and catalyzing the creation of new medicines, today announced the inaugural recipients of the 2022 Termeer Scholars Awards. These prestigious new awards support emerging biomedical researchers developing scientific advances like new medicines and diagnostics that represent the future of the biotechnology industry and the potential to positively impact patients’ lives. This year’s co-recipients of the Termeer Scholars Award are Omar Abudayyeh and Jonathan Gootenberg, McGovern Institute Fellows at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) whose lab is leveraging natural biological systems, including CRISPR biology, to develop a suite of tools for next-generation cellular engineering. These tools have been adopted by researchers over the world and formed the basis for four companies that Omar and Jonathan have co-founded. They will receive a $50,000 grant to support professional development, knowledge advancement and/or stakeholder engagement and will become part of The Termeer Foundation’s signature Network of Termeer Fellows (first-time CEOs and entrepreneurs) and Mentors (experienced industry leaders). “The Termeer Foundation is working to improve the long odds of biotechnology by identifying and supporting future biotech leaders; if we help them succeed as leaders, we can help their innovations reach patients. While our Termeer Fellows program has supported first time CEOs and entrepreneurs for the past five years, our new Termeer Scholars program will provide much needed support to the researchers whose innovative ideas represent the future of the biotechnology industry - researchers like Omar and Jonathan,” said Alan Walts, Co-Founder and Member of the Board of Directors for The Termeer Foundation. The Abudayyeh-Gootenberg lab at MIT is developing a suite of new tools to enable next-generation cellular engineering, with uses in basic research, therapeutics and diagnostics. Building off the revolutionary biology of natural biological systems, including mobile genetic elements and CRISPR systems, the team develops new approaches for understanding and manipulating genomes, transcriptomes and cellular fate. The technologies have broad applications, including in oncology, aging and genetic disease. Omar Abudayyeh is a McGovern Institute Fellow at MIT. He was part of the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program as an MD/PhD student and completed his doctoral work in Feng Zhang’s lab at the Broad Institute, where his research centered on novel CRISPR enzymes for applications in genome editing, therapeutics, and diagnostics. Dr. Abudayyeh was recognized as a Technology Review TR35 Innovator, Endpoints 20 under 40 awardee, 2018 Forbes 30 under 30 in Science and Health Care, and Business Insider 30 under 30. Jonathan Gootenberg is a McGovern Institute Fellow at MIT and received his PhD in Systems Biology from Harvard University, during which he conducted research with Aviv Regev and Feng Zhang at the McGovern Institute and Broad Institute. During his PhD, Gootenberg focused on the development of molecular technologies for treating and sensing disease states, crossing disciplines by utilizing novel computational techniques, microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology to uncover new CRISPR tools, including Cas12 and Cas13. He and his co-authors developed Cas13 into a toolbox with uses in fundamental research, therapeutics, and diagnostics. He has received multiple awards, including the Technology Review TR35, Forbes 30 Under 30, Endpoints 20 Under 40, and Business Insider 30 and Under. "The Termeer Foundation is committed to championing emerging biotechnology leaders and finding people who want to solve the biggest problems in human health,” said Belinda Termeer, President of The Termeer Foundation. "By supporting researchers like Omar and Jonathan, we plant the seeds for future success in individuals who are preparing to make significant contributions in academia and industry.” Abudayyeh and Gootenberg were honored at the Termeer Foundation’s annual dinner in Boston on June 16, 2022. The event also recognized the 2022 class of Termeer Fellows. About The Termeer Foundation Building on the bold legacy of Henri Termeer, who pioneered groundbreaking treatments for rare diseases, The Termeer Foundation connects life science innovators and catalyzes the creation of new medicines. The Foundation’s network of emerging and established healthcare innovators cultivates tomorrow’s leaders and leverages their collective expertise to solve complex problems in drug development and accessibility. The Foundation also integrates its network with academic institutions, nonprofits, regulatory agencies and other organizations across the global healthcare ecosystem to provide expert counsel, stimulate innovation, eliminate barriers to progress, and ultimately connect the world of healthcare until every patient has a cure. Visit us at or on LinkedIn @TermeerFoundation.