A group of University of Missouri graduates created Cell Origins to develop cancer drugs using a method of drug discovery called phage display. The phage library can be billions of “books” of phage viruses, and each book has a slightly different grouping of amino acids that does not interfere with its ability to attack bacteria. By using this tool, the company can create drugs that impact only cancerous cells, rather than affecting healthy cells as well. In addition to cancer treatments, the phage display method can be used to discover drugs for a variety of diseases. Cell Origins has received a National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research grant and is creating a test kit for use in other labs. The kit includes a genetically-modified phage and a small number of phages that have already been selected from a library, which will help maintain consistent testing despite different lab conditions. The company plans to present the kit to various conferences and pharmaceutical companies for their use, and hopes to grow organically by gaining new clients without seeking investors.
Cell Origins: Three University of Missouri Graduates Discovering New Cancer Drugs
Cell Origins is a pharmaceutical company founded by three University of Missouri graduates aiming to develop a drug that only targets cancerous cells instead of harming healthy ones. The company uses a method of drug discovery called phage display developed by MU professor emeritus and Nobel Laureate, George Smith. The founders of Cell Origins, Chief Operations Officer Jessica Newton-Northup, Chief Scientific Officer Mette Soendergaard, and CEO Leann Kuhlmann-Qi, have been working with other labs and pharmaceutical companies to discover new drugs using phage libraries.
Phage libraries are collections of bacteriophages, a type of virus that infects bacteria, that can be manipulated to target specific cells. The main focus of Cell Origins is on the development of cancer drug treatments, but the technology can be used for a variety of diseases.
One of the main advantages of this technology is that it allows for the creation of drugs that target specific cells, reducing the risk of harming healthy cells. This is in contrast to chemotherapy, which can affect both cancerous and healthy cells. Cell Origins’ founders hope to develop a standardized testing kit for use in other labs and are currently working on a drug that specifically targets cancer cells.
Cell Origins was officially founded in 2019, but the idea for the company came before Smith was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2018. Newton-Northup and Soendergaard were colleagues in Susan Deutscher’s lab at MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, where they studied Smith’s phage display. Kuhlmann-Qi, who has an MBA and specializes in working with startups, joined the team to aid in business development.
The founders of Cell Origins are proud to be Mizzou alumni and believe that their home is at the University of Missouri in Columbia. They hope that their research will lead to the development of new cancer drugs and that their company will be at the forefront of this exciting field.
Using Phage Libraries to Discover New Drugs: The Methodology of Cell Origins
Cell Origins is a biotechnology company founded by three University of Missouri graduates, Chief Operations Officer Jessica Newton-Northup, Chief Scientific Officer Mette Soendergaard, and CEO Leann Kuhlmann-Qi, which aims to discover new drugs using phage libraries. The company uses a method of drug discovery developed by Nobel Laureate George Smith called phage display, which involves using bacteriophages, a type of virus that infects bacteria, to target specific cells.
What are Phage Libraries?
Phage libraries are collections of bacteriophages that can be manipulated to target specific cells. Each phage book in the library has a slightly different grouping of amino acids, known as a peptide or an antibody, attached to the phage. The reason phages are used for drug discovery is due to their ability to replicate quickly.
How Does Phage Display Work?
Disease or cancer cells are introduced to a phage library, and then the library is tested to see which phage book gets “checked out” by the cells. In other words, to which phage did the disease or cancer cells attach or have an affinity selection. For Cell Origins, the testing of the phage library for one of its current clients returned about 60 hits from the billions of phages in the library. From there, the leads are tested individually, and then they can be optimized to make the drug even better, or the drug company can take over.
The Focus of Cell Origins
Cell Origins’ founders hope to develop a standardized testing kit for use in other labs and are currently working on a drug that specifically targets cancer cells. One of the main advantages of this technology is that it allows for the creation of drugs that target specific cells, reducing the risk of harming healthy cells. Cell Origins continues to operate from the MU campus out of the Life Science Incubator at the Missouri Innovation Center, where Newton-Northup handles the day-to-day operations, while Soendergaard and Kuhlmann-Qi work remotely.
The Role of Phage Libraries in Drug Discovery
Phage libraries can be used to discover new drugs, not necessarily only for cancer treatments but a variety of diseases. Each phage in the library represents a unique possibility to find a compound that could lead to a new drug. Smith says, “Phages are the world champion at replication. You can drop one filamentous phage particle into a one-liter culture of e. coli bacteria … and shake it overnight at body temperature in a shaker incubator. The next day there is not one particle, but 10 to the 15th particles. Ten to the 15th is 1,000 trillion particles in just 20 hours of growth.”
Conclusion
Cell Origins’ founders are proud to be Mizzou alumni and believe that their research will lead to the development of new cancer drugs. Although Cell Origins is not set up to conduct clinical trials of a new drug, the information learned from consulting with them can be used by pharmaceutical companies to establish clinical trials. The phage display methodology developed by George Smith is a game-changer for drug discovery and could lead to more effective treatments for a wide range of diseases.
Using Radioactive Metal to Shrink Tumors: The Unique Capabilities of Peptides and Antibodies
Peptides and antibodies have unique capabilities that make them suitable for drug discovery. Unlike other drugs, which typically work by binding to proteins, DNA, or enzymes in the body, peptides and antibodies can bind directly to cancer cells. Furthermore, peptides are capable of undergoing radiopharmacy, in which a radioactive metal, or radionuclide, is included in the drug to shrink tumors from within a person’s body.
The Role of Phage Display in Drug Discovery
Phage display is a technique used in drug discovery that involves the use of bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, to target specific cells. While this technique has been around since the 1940s, it gained renewed attention after Nobel Laureate George Smith developed it further in 1984. Cell Origins, a biotechnology company founded by three University of Missouri graduates, uses phage display to create phage libraries, collections of bacteriophages that can be manipulated to target specific cells.
The Creation of a Test Kit
Cell Origins is also developing a test kit to keep testing consistent despite differing lab conditions. The kit does not include a phage library, but a small number of phages that have already been selected from a library. The company has filed for a provisional patent and plans to file the full patent soon. The test kit will contain a genetically-modified phage, which will allow buyers to verify whether the cells they are working with are in a good state.
The Future of Cell Origins
Cell Origins wants to grow organically by gaining new clients rather than through capital investments. The company is not looking for investors, but is open to the idea if necessary. The plan is to develop a beta version of the test kit within the next year and have it tested in labs throughout the country.
Conclusion
Peptides and antibodies have unique capabilities that make them promising candidates for drug discovery, particularly in the treatment of cancer. By using phage display to create phage libraries and developing a test kit for consistent testing, Cell Origins is at the forefront of this growing field. While the company is focused on growing organically, it remains open to the possibility of investors if necessary.
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