The startup has developed a gene delivery platform that utilizes chemical engineering techniques for efficient intracellular delivery of genetic medicine payloads, including proteins, mRNA, and DNA. This technology addresses the challenge of delivering gene therapies effectively for the treatment of various diseases, particularly neurogenetic disorders.
Funding
$3.6M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Delivery of gene and biologic therapies, particularly to the brain, faces significant challenges due to physiological barriers and the limitations of existing delivery methods like viral vectors and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). These methods can suffer from safety concerns, limited payload capacity, and poor penetration of the brain's extracellular space.
Solution
Couragene is developing novel delivery platforms, including its proprietary Stimuli-responsive Traceless Engineering Platform (STEP), to enable safer and more efficient intracellular delivery of genetic medicine payloads. STEP leverages chemical engineering approaches to deliver proteins, gene editors, antibodies, mRNA, antisense oligos (ASOs), and DNA. STEP-engineered payloads are designed to penetrate cells, release their contents, and fully recover their biological functions. For brain delivery, STEP technology creates payloads small enough to navigate the brain's extracellular space, overcoming the limitations of larger delivery vehicles.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes researchers and pharmaceutical companies focused on developing gene and biologic therapies, particularly for neurogenetic diseases, seeking improved delivery methods with enhanced safety and efficacy.
Features
- STEP (Stimuli-responsive Traceless Engineering Platform) technology for efficient intracellular delivery
- Chemically engineered payloads designed to penetrate cells and release genetic medicine
- Payload size optimized for brain penetration, with STEP-CRISPR having an average diameter of 12.4 nm
- Demonstrated efficient delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editors to embryonic fibroblast cells
- Demonstrated brain-wide editing to activate gene expression in transgenic mouse models
- Oral delivery platforms using single-component nanoparticles derived from medicinal natural products
- Potential for oral delivery of small molecules, peptides, and large molecules