About Universal Cells

This biotech company engineers universal donor stem cells using gene editing to create cell therapies that avoid immune rejection. Their platform aims to accelerate the development of allogeneic cell therapies for various diseases by providing readily available, compatible cells. This enables faster and more efficient development of life-saving treatments.

```xml <problem> Allogeneic cell therapies face the challenge of immune rejection, requiring HLA matching or immunosuppression, which can limit accessibility and increase the risk of complications. Current methods for generating compatible cells are often inefficient and time-consuming, hindering the development of widely available cell therapies. </problem> <solution> Universal Cells engineers universal donor stem cells using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-mediated gene editing to create off-the-shelf, allogeneic cell therapies that can avoid immune rejection. Their technology modifies human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression in pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) by eliminating the expression of polymorphic HLA proteins and expressing non-polymorphic HLA molecules. This approach aims to produce cells accepted by patients without HLA matching or immunosuppression. The resulting universal donor cells (UDCs) can be differentiated into various therapeutic cell products, enabling faster and more efficient development of cell therapies for diverse diseases. </solution> <features> - Nuclease-free, rAAV-mediated gene editing for precise modification of chromosomal genes in stem cells - Generation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) that can differentiate into any cell type - Elimination of HLA class I and class II proteins to prevent immune recognition - Expression of HLA-E to inhibit lysis by natural killer (NK) cells - Introduction of suicide genes, such as thymidine kinase (TK), for enhanced safety and in vivo elimination of transplanted cells - Clinical-grade gene editing and stem cell production in dedicated facilities - Proprietary technology for HLA engineering to create universal donor cells (UDCs) - Genomic analysis to ensure editing precision and absence of unwanted mutations </features> <target_audience> The primary target audience includes researchers and pharmaceutical companies developing allogeneic cell therapies, as well as clinicians seeking readily available, compatible cells for transplantation. </target_audience> ```

What does Universal Cells do?

Where is Universal Cells located?

Universal Cells is based in Seattle, United States.

When was Universal Cells founded?

Universal Cells was founded in 2013.

How much funding has Universal Cells raised?

Universal Cells has raised 60000.

Location

Seattle, United States

Founded

2013

Funding

60000

Employees

60 employees

Find Investable Startups and Competitors

Search thousands of startups using natural language

AI voice (2021+)underground pipe robots energy flexibility software

Start Searching

Universal Cells

⚠️ AI-generated overview based on web search data – may contain errors, please verify information yourself! You can claim this account with your email domain to make edits.

Executive Summary

universalcells.com 1K+

Crunchbase

Founded 2013 – Seattle, United States

Funding

Estimated Funding

Team (50+)

No team information available.

Company Description

Problem

Allogeneic cell therapies face the challenge of immune rejection, requiring HLA matching or immunosuppression, which can limit accessibility and increase the risk of complications. Current methods for generating compatible cells are often inefficient and time-consuming, hindering the development of widely available cell therapies.

Solution

Universal Cells engineers universal donor stem cells using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-mediated gene editing to create off-the-shelf, allogeneic cell therapies that can avoid immune rejection. Their technology modifies human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression in pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) by eliminating the expression of polymorphic HLA proteins and expressing non-polymorphic HLA molecules. This approach aims to produce cells accepted by patients without HLA matching or immunosuppression. The resulting universal donor cells (UDCs) can be differentiated into various therapeutic cell products, enabling faster and more efficient development of cell therapies for diverse diseases.

Features

Nuclease-free, rAAV-mediated gene editing for precise modification of chromosomal genes in stem cells

Generation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) that can differentiate into any cell type

Elimination of HLA class I and class II proteins to prevent immune recognition

Expression of HLA-E to inhibit lysis by natural killer (NK) cells

Introduction of suicide genes, such as thymidine kinase (TK), for enhanced safety and in vivo elimination of transplanted cells

Clinical-grade gene editing and stem cell production in dedicated facilities

Proprietary technology for HLA engineering to create universal donor cells (UDCs)

Genomic analysis to ensure editing precision and absence of unwanted mutations

Target Audience

The primary target audience includes researchers and pharmaceutical companies developing allogeneic cell therapies, as well as clinicians seeking readily available, compatible cells for transplantation.