In a significant move, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has licensed a pioneering technology to Mumbai-headquartered Reliance Life Sciences Pvt Ltd that has the potential to revolutionise the field of gene therapy, especially for many genetic eye diseases. There are many inherited disorders caused by a faulty gene.
'Gene therapy’ is a way to replace the faulty gene with a functional version of the gene to treat such disorders. This marks the first time that a gene therapy-related technology has been developed and transferred from an academic institution to a company in India. The gene therapy technology from IIT Kanpur will be further developed as an indigenous product by Reliance Life Sciences.
Developed by Prof Jayandharan Giridhara Rao and Shubham Maurya from the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering (BSBE), IIT Kanpur, the patented technology modifies the gene of an organism to treat a hereditary disorder.
In this case, the site refers to a specific location on an Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) (viral vector) used for gene therapy. The technology modifies this location to optimise its ability to deliver genes to the affected cells and improve its effectiveness. The technology has the ability to improve gene therapy for many hereditary diseases, especially inherited eye diseases. It has shown significant promise in correcting vision impairment in animal models of blindness.
“Gene therapy using viral vectors has recently emerged as a potent tool in the field of molecular medicine. We believe that this technology holds great promise for treating a wide range of hereditary eye diseases including Leber Congenital Amaurosis, an eye disorder that is present from birth; and Retinitis Pigmentosa, a disease-causing progressive sustained vision loss,” said Prof Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur.
“We are thrilled to collaborate and take forward this innovative technology to commercialisation,” said Mr K V Subramaniam, President, Reliance Life Sciences.