The Platform Technology

We are developing a DNA-based, state-of-the-art transdermal therapeutic vaccine platform to treat viral infections and different types of cancer.

Our APIs - disease-specific plasmid DNA constructs are formulated with a novel polymer excipient to create synthetic 'pathogen-like' particles. This formulation is essential for achieving a potent antigen expression from the plasmid DNA and antigen presentation by dendritic cells. This is critical for eliciting antigen-specific immune responses in people with chronic diseases.

The 'pathogen-like' particles—created with the help of a synthetic polymer (mannobiosylated linear polyethyleneimine, PEIm)—have the size and shape of spherical viruses that naturally evolved to deliver nucleic acids into the cells. These nanoparticles deliver the plasmid DNA into the cells similarly to viruses in a safe way as they cannot replicate.

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DNA formulation - folding

For in vivo use, the plasmid DNA is encapsulated in a synthetic polymer (PEIm) creating pathogen-like particles. This is necessary for the targeted immune cells to perceive the vaccine just like a pathogen and inducing an effective immune response. The polymer we use is a linear polyethyleneimine-mannobiose, or PEIm, which forms a colloidal system with the plasmid DNA. PEIm is a highly efficient synthetic carrier capable of protecting the pDNA from endosomal degradation. By formulating the pDNA with the PEIm, the virus-like particles are formed, allowing transdermal immunization targeting the Langerhans cells, the immune cells of the skin.