Exosome Research Collaboration

RNS Number : 7844Q

ReNeuron Group plc

22 June 2015

 

22 June 2015

AIM: RENE

ReNeuron Group plc

("ReNeuron" or "the Company")

ReNeuron announces research collaboration with Benitec Biopharma using exosomes as delivery system for gene silencing in cancer therapy

Guildford, UK, 22 June 2015: ReNeuron Group plc (AIM: RENE), a leading UK-based stem cell therapy company, today announces the extension of an ongoing research collaboration with Australia-based Benitec Biopharma following positive results in early studies.  

Researchers at ReNeuron and Benitec, a leader in the field of therapeutics focused on gene silencing, have discovered that ReNeuron's CTX-derived exosomes are potentially an effective delivery system for Benitec's proprietary ddRNAi gene silencing technology, resulting in the silencing of specific genes in recipient cells to beneficial therapeutic effect.  These early studies also indicate that ReNeuron's CTX stem cells are a more effective producer cell type for this purpose than mesenchymal cells, a widely used cell type against disease targets in stem cell therapy. Following these exploratory studies, ReNeuron is extending its research collaboration with Benitec in order to further test the potential of this combination technology approach, targeting lung cancer and other drug resistant cancers.

ReNeuron is a first-mover in the field of exosome-based therapeutics and has filed multiple patent applications covering the composition, manufacture and therapeutic use of its exosome nanomedicine platform.  Exosomes are nanoparticles secreted from all cells and which are believed to play a key role in the transfer of beneficial proteins and particularly non-coding RNAs¹ from one cell to another.  ReNeuron aims to exploit the therapeutic potential of exosomes derived from its own proprietary stem cell lines.

Dr Peter French, Chief Executive Officer of Benitec, commented:

"We are delighted to be working with ReNeuron in this exciting emerging field of gene- and cell-based therapeutics.  The application of Benitec's ddRNAi technology to ReNeuron's stem cell and exosome platforms represents a unique technology combination and opens up a wide array of possibilities for extending both companies' core platforms into new therapeutic areas. Having ReNeuron as a collaborator on this approach increases the chances of success as their knowledge of stem cell science coupled with their unique technology platforms are tremendous assets in this area."

Olav Hellebø, Chief Executive Officer of ReNeuron, commented:

"We are increasingly excited by the potential of our exosome platform, most particularly as a potential new therapeutic approach targeting cancer.  The early data we have generated indicates that our CTX-derived exosomes may become a valuable new pipeline of cancer therapeutic candidates.  We are also delighted to be extending our research collaboration with Benitec to explore the potential of our exosomes as a delivery system for Benitec's unique gene silencing technology targeting drug resistant cancers."

1.   RNA: Ribonucleic acid, a single-stranded molecule found in all cells and responsible for transmission of genetic information from DNA to proteins produced by the cell. Some small RNAs have been found to be involved in regulating gene expression.

Enquiries:

ReNeuron	[phone]
Olav Hellebø , Chief Executive Officer
Michael Hunt, Chief Financial Officer
Buchanan	[phone]
Mark Court, Sophie Cowles, Stephanie Watson
Cenkos Securities	[phone]
Stephen Keys, Dr Christopher Golden (NOMAD and Broker)
Russell Kerr (Sales)

About Benitec

Benitec Biopharma Limited is an ASX-listed biotechnology company (ASX: BLT; OTC: BTEBY), which has developed a patented gene-silencing technology called ddRNAi or 'expressed RNAi'. Based in Sydney, Australia with labs in Hayward CA (USA) and collaborators and licensees around the world, the company is developing ddRNAi-based therapeutics for chronic and life-threatening human conditions including Hepatitis C and B, drug resistant lung cancer and wet Age-related Macular Degeneration. Benitec has also licensed ddRNAi to other biopharmaceutical companies for applications including HIV/AIDS, Huntington's Disease, chronic neuropathic pain and retinitis pigmentosa.  

Further information on Benitec and its products can be found at www.benitec.com.

About ReNeuron

ReNeuron is a leading, clinical-stage cell therapy development business.  Based in the UK, its primary objective is the development of novel cell-based therapies targeting areas of significant unmet or poorly met medical need.  

ReNeuron has used its unique stem cell technologies to develop cell-based therapies for significant disease conditions where the cells can be readily administered "off-the-shelf" to any eligible patient without the need for additional immunosuppressive drug treatments.  The Company's therapeutic candidates for stroke disability and critical limb ischaemia are in clinical development and its cell-based treatment for the blindness-causing disease, retinitis pigmentosa, is about to enter the clinic in the US.    

ReNeuron is also advancing a proprietary platform technology to exploit nanoparticles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells as potential new drug candidates targeting a range of cancers.

ReNeuron's shares are traded on the London AIM market under the symbol RENE.L.  Further information on ReNeuron and its products can be found at www.reneuron.com.

 

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