Logan Collins | Viruses inside vaults: a powerful new gene therapy delivery system
Biotech and Health Extension sponsored by 100 Plus Capital
Viruses inside vaults: a powerful new gene therapy delivery system
Bio: Logan Thrasher Collins is a synthetic biologist, author, and futurist. He is currently a PhD candidate in biomedical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. Logan began engaging in scientific research during his sophomore year of high school when he created a new synthetic biology approach for combatting antibiotic resistant infections. Since then, he has led research projects on developing x-ray microscopy techniques for connectomics, using molecular dynamics simulations to study SARS-CoV-2, and inventing novel gene therapy delivery systems. Logan has spoken at TEDxMileHigh and has published peer-reviewed scientific papers on his research. He has also published science fiction and sci-fi poetry and as well as a peer-reviewed philosophy journal article. Logan passionately advocates for applying interdisciplinary solutions to global challenges and leverages both the arts and sciences to help build a bright future.
Abstract: Although adeno-associated virus (AAV) has enjoyed enormous success as a delivery modality for gene therapy, it continues to suffer from the high prevalence of preexisting neutralizing antibodies in human populations, limiting who can receive potentially life-saving treatments. In this regard, AAV therapies generally also must be administered as a single dose since neutralizing antibodies develop in patients who receive the virus. Strategies for circumventing these issues remain limited. As a novel solution, I employed SpyTag-SpyCatcher molecular glue technology to facilitate packaging of AAVs inside of recombinant protein vault nanoparticles. Vaults are endogenous proteinaceous organelles produced by mammalian cells, so they are recognized as self by the immune system. They therefore can shield packaged molecules from neutralizing antibodies. Vault has previously been utilized to deliver drugs and proteins into cells, but my study represents the first time anyone has packaged an entire virus inside of vault. I showed that my vaultAAV (VAAV) delivery vehicle transduces cells in the presence of anti-AAV neutralizing serum. VAAV is positioned as a new gene therapy delivery platform with potential to overcome the neutralizing antibody problem and perhaps even allow administration of multiple doses, expanding the scope of AAV treatments.
Biotech and Health Extension sponsored by 100 Plus Capital
This seminar is part of Foresight's Longevity Biotech Group Seminar Series. To join future seminars in this program please apply here.
A group of scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and institutional allies who cooperate to advance biotechnology to reverse aging and extend human healthspan. This group is sponsored by 100 Plus Capital.
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