Unravel Biosciences Partners with SCN2A Foundation to Target Loss-of-Function Mutations in Autism and Epilepsy
Key Insights
The SCN2A Foundation (search) has announced a research collaboration with AI-enabled therapeutics company Unravel Biosciences (search) to advance preclinical research for SCN2A-related disorders (search) caused by loss-of-function mutations.
SCN2A (search) is one of the largest genetic causes of autism (search) and epilepsy (search), with certain mutations resulting in insufficient functional protein production that causes serious neurological symptoms.
The collaboration will use Unravel's Living Molecular Twin approach to evaluate therapeutic strategies in mutation-relevant laboratory models, focusing on increasing functional SCN2A (search) protein levels in the brain.
The SCN2A Foundation (search) has announced a research collaboration with Unravel Biosciences (search), Inc., an AI-enabled therapeutics company, to advance preclinical research for SCN2A-related disorders (search) caused by loss-of-function mutations. The partnership specifically targets a subset of SCN2A (search) conditions driven by insufficient functional protein production.
Targeting a Major Genetic Cause of Neurological Disorders
SCN2A (search) represents a gene critical for normal brain signaling and stands as one of the largest genetic causes of autism (search) and epilepsy (search). In many individuals, specific genetic changes including splice-site, frameshift, nonsense, and select missense mutations result in the body producing inadequate amounts of working SCN2A protein. This deficiency causes serious neurological symptoms such as epilepsy and neurodevelopmental impairment (search).
"Our focus is on SCN2A (search) mutations where the fundamental issue is a lack of functional protein," said Jason Curry, Co-Founder of the SCN2A Foundation (search). "By partnering with Unravel Biosciences (search), we are taking a disciplined, mechanism-driven approach to identify strategies that may increase functional SCN2A protein in the brain."
Precision Medicine Approach to Rare Disease Treatment
The collaboration emphasizes a precision medicine strategy that moves beyond traditional diagnostic categories to address the underlying biological mechanisms driving patient symptoms. Richard Novak, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Unravel Biosciences (search), highlighted this approach: "We are excited to collaborate on a program that is clearly defined by the complex patient biology rather than diagnosis alone. Precision matters in rare diseases where each patient with a shared diagnosis may have quite different therapeutic responses; this effort reflects a thoughtful approach to matching therapies to the right mutation mechanisms for each patient using our Living Molecular Twin approach."
Research Strategy and Methodology
Under the collaboration agreement, the research teams will evaluate therapeutic approaches using mutation-relevant laboratory models. The work will emphasize understanding how loss-of-function SCN2A (search) protein responds at both the RNA and protein levels, taking into account genetic and environmental factors specific to individual patients. This comprehensive analysis is designed to inform future therapeutic development efforts.
Unravel's Technology Platform
Unravel Biosciences (search) operates on the principle that biological networks inform clinical outcomes, leveraging its proprietary BioNAV™ platform and primary transcriptomics data to create Living Molecular Twins of real patients. This technology enables prediction of therapeutic response and supports target and drug discovery, preclinical screening, patient stratification, and clinical validation through a systematic, data-driven approach called Predictable Medicine™.
The company's platform has already demonstrated success in drug discovery, identifying RVL002, a first-in-class small molecule targeting mitochondrial metabolism (search) with applications in neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders (search), and RVL069 (search), a molecule targeting a novel mechanism for treating dystonias (search). Through its rareSHIFT™ program, Unravel provides platform and proprietary datamine access to foundation and biotech partners to accelerate and clinically derisk therapeutics development.