Chromatin Bioscience, an Edinburgh-based biotechnology company specializing in synthetic promoters and gene control systems, announced today a new collaboration agreement with global pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma. The partnership will leverage Chromatin's proprietary chromatinLENS platform to develop cell-selective synthetic promoters tailored to Astellas' specific therapeutic targets.
Under the terms of the agreement, Chromatin Bioscience will design synthetic promoters capable of enabling highly precise and durable gene expression in specific cell types, a critical capability for next-generation targeted therapeutics. Financial details of the collaboration were not disclosed.
Advancing Precision Gene Control Technology
The chromatinLENS platform developed by Chromatin Bioscience identifies gene regulatory elements from what scientists refer to as the "dark genome" – regions of DNA previously considered non-functional but now recognized as important for gene regulation. This technology allows for the rational design of synthetic promoters that can be customized for specific applications.
"We're excited to begin this collaboration with Astellas," said Michael Roberts, CEO and Founder of Chromatin Bioscience. "We believe the ability to precisely control targeted gene expression is becoming increasingly critical across diverse applications in biotechnology. This collaboration reflects the growing interest in synthetic promoter technology as a key enabler in the development of precision-targeted biological systems."
Expanding Applications Beyond Therapeutics
While the Astellas collaboration focuses on therapeutic applications, Chromatin's technology has broader potential. The chromatinLENS platform can be applied across multiple sectors including agritech, industrial biotechnology, and bioprocessing, highlighting the versatility of synthetic promoter technology.
The ability to control gene expression with cell-type specificity represents a significant advancement for targeted therapies. Traditional gene therapy approaches often lack precision in terms of where and when therapeutic genes are expressed, which can limit efficacy and raise safety concerns. Chromatin's synthetic promoters aim to overcome these limitations by enabling expression only in intended cell types.
Strategic Growth Through Partnerships
This agreement with Astellas marks the latest in a series of collaborations for Chromatin Bioscience, demonstrating growing industry recognition of synthetic promoter technology's importance in advanced biological systems.
For Astellas, the partnership aligns with their focus on innovative approaches to drug development. The Japanese pharmaceutical company has been expanding its capabilities in genetic medicine and cell therapy, areas where precise gene expression control is particularly valuable.
The collaboration further validates the potential of the chromatinLENS platform and represents a significant milestone in Chromatin Bioscience's continued growth and impact in the biotechnology sector.
Synthetic Promoters: A Key to Precision Medicine
Synthetic promoters are engineered DNA sequences that control when and where genes are expressed. Unlike naturally occurring promoters, synthetic versions can be designed with specific properties, such as activating genes only in certain cell types or under particular conditions.
This level of control is increasingly important for advanced therapeutics, particularly in gene therapy, where delivering therapeutic genes to the right cells while avoiding expression in non-target tissues remains a significant challenge.
By developing cell-selective synthetic promoters aligned with Astellas' target profile, Chromatin Bioscience aims to help overcome this hurdle, potentially enabling more effective and safer genetic medicines.
