i -LAB 2019: Two start-ups run by CNRS researchers at Institut Curie win the i-LAB 2019 national competition
For the 21st edition of the i-LAB national competition to support the creation of innovative technology companies, the jury has distinguished 75 laureates on 468 received applications. Prizes include two innovative startups Honing Biosciences and Sideros resulting of research developed by CNRS research teams at Institut Curie.
Honing Biosciences: Adapting the cell to therapy
Cell therapies represent one of the most promising frontiers for the development of new therapies. Honing Biosciences relies on technologies developed by a team of CNRS researchers from Institut Curie (Dynamics of intra-cellular organization, directed by Franck Perez) for the control of cell secretion in order to control the cells used as therapeutic agents.
Honing Biosciences will focus on cellular immunotherapy and bring to market a new CAR-T that combines specificity, efficacy and control. In the longer term, Honing Biosciences wants to invest in the broader area of cell therapy, associated with gene therapy.
Winner : Abdelkader Bousabaa, President
Founding researcher : Franck Perez, CNRS Research Director, Director of the UMR 144 Research Unit (Institut Curie, CNRS, Sorbonne University)
http://www.honing-biosciences.com/
SideROS : Treat breast cancer and glioblastoma with ironomycin
Supported by CNRS Innovation, SideROS, which means iron in Greek ( Σίδερος ), was created in 2019 to develop functional therapies for the treatment of resistant or at risk of recurrence cancers. Its first molecule, Ironomycine derived from the work of Raphaël Rodriguez (chemistry and cancer biology team) , relies on the particular metabolism of iron in resistant cancer cells to induce a cell death that drastically reduces recurrence.
The goal of SideROS is to complete the preclinical development of ironomycin in breast cancers and glioblastomas by eradicating cancer stem cells responsible for resistance to conventional treatments and metastases.
Winner: Robin Rivaton , President
Researcher Founder: Raphaël Rodriguez, CNRS Research Director, Team Leader in the Research Unit UMR3666 / U1143 (Institut Curie, CNRS, INSERM)