Partner Search

Summary

A Spanish biotechnology company searches partners in order to adapt the platform they have developed for new uses. It is an automated biotechnological platform capable of performing massive in vivo drug screening using the fruit fly as a model for genetic diseases. It can be adapted to the new challenges of undefined target or target-based pesticide discovery. The company would like to establish a technical cooperation in order to adapt the platform and test it for different applications.

Full description

A Spanish company that has as main goal the research and development of new types of therapeutic solutions for human disorders that currently lack effective treatments has developed a completely automated biotechnological platform capable of performing massive in vivo drug screening using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as a model for human genetic diseases.

The platform has been used for the moment to provide the following services to industry and R&D groups:

- Development of new Drosophila transgenic models for human diseases
- Identification of therapeutic targets in pathologic pathways
- Screening and/or drugs validation
- Detection of potential antioxidants compounds
- Discovery of novel pesticides

Currently the company is focused in finding a compound to treat the rare genetic pathology, Myotonic Dystrophy (DM1). The high-throughput screen (HTS) using DM1 transgenic flies of 8,000 compounds is completed. More than 30 compounds have passed this primary screening and they have been assessed by secondary tests to confirm their ability to reduce/abrogate DM1 phenotypes. They have initiated the pre-clinic development of two of those compounds.

While the technology platform is designed to enhance discovery of human pharmaceuticals, it can also be adapted with great efficiency to the new challenges of undefined target or targeted-based pesticide discovery.

The company is willing to receive proposals to adapt the platform system to different applications and develop new assessments methodologies.

Innovative Aspects

Drosophila have been extensively studied by researchers for decades, making them ideal models for disease research and the screening of potential therapies. Genetic techniques have introduced reliable diseaselike fly models.

Models developed from these simple invertebrate organisms allow us to rapidly obtain critical information about a molecules effectiveness, toxicity and target before costly and time-consuming clinical studies are even started.

Screening compounds in this manner (in vivo conditions) results in the identification of pharmacological features directly relevant for humans plus any potential effects on the whole organism can be assessed.

Partner expertise sought:

- Type of partner sought: SME, industry, university, research centre

- Specific area of activity of the partner: environment, medicine, health, research

- Task to be performed: application of the platform into the required and defined use