Three projects launched with Booster subsidy
In recent months, three teams of researchers launched a Biotech Booster project. All three teams are working on early discoveries in biotechnology: tear fluid for detecting Huntington’s disease; more specific and effective cancer treatments; and antibodies that prevent cancer cells from “talking” to healthy cells.
Assisted by a team of business developers as well as a subsidy from the National Growth Fund, Biotech Booster is helping researchers get their innovations to market faster as products so they can make a real impact.
“Biotech Booster focuses on all these great ideas that humanity shouldn’t miss out on.”
Nettie Buitelaar, CEO Biotech BoosterBiotech Booster
Through funding, engaged business developers, mentorship and networking opportunities, Biotech Booster helps scientists expand opportunities for real impact. Jessie van Buggenum, manager for Biotech Booster: “Researchers can submit an application for a Biotech Booster project for innovative discoveries to help them take the initial steps to the market and make an impact. We help project teams valorize their research and make the switch from an academic to a business mindset.”
“Biotech Booster focuses on all these great ideas that humanity shouldn’t miss out on”, adds Nettie Buitelaar, CEO of Biotech Booster. “Even ideas in an early stage are welcome. Sometimes, it doesn’t involve much more than a molecule. We have 39 great business developers here who can give discoveries like this a boost, as well as a broad network of experienced biotech entrepreneurs eager to share their knowledge. Be sure to take advantage of this. This is truly an opportunity to take an idea a huge step further, making it interesting for investors!”
Three Maastricht proof-of-principle projects
During the first round of Biotech Booster, researchers Marlies Gijs/Mayke Oosterloo, Marc Vooijs and Kasper Rouschop each received a grant of €200,000 to develop their idea into a business plan. Their projects Huntington Biomarker Detection in Tears, EV Antibodies for the Treatment of Cancer and Fenix Therapeutics were launched in January and February.
Diagnosing Huntington’s disease using tear fluid
Huntington’s is a progressive genetic disease that is ultimately fatal. There is currently no treatment available. Brain biopsies are done to study how the disease progresses, but this is a very invasive procedure for the patient and can only be done a few times during the course of the disease. Marlies Gijs and Mayke Oosterloo discovered Huntington’s proteins in tears and developed a receptor that tests for the disease using tear fluid. Thanks to this receptor, soon it will be possible to diagnose Huntington’s disease better and faster, eliminating the need for brain biopsies. This makes it easier to measure the progression of the disease. It also offers another advantage: the tear fluid test is very sensitive, which will soon even make it possible to detect who is a carrier of the Huntington’s gene before symptoms manifest.
New therapies to cancer
In the Fenix Therapeutics project, Marc Vooijs and his team are developing new therapies to treat cancer. In this Biotech Booster project, Vooijs and his team are studying how to best use the newly discovered mechanisms to treat different types of cancer.
EV antibodies for treatment of cancer
Kasper Rouschop and his team discovered that one specific protein is present on the surface of 70% of the communication bubbles between cancer cells and healthy cells. In this Biotech Booster project, the team will look for a molecule that binds to this protein in order to interrupt communication between cancer cells and healthy cells. This can prevent a tumor from growing larger and the disease from spreading. How exactly does it work? Tumor cells communicate with normal cells in the body through special communication bubbles called vesicles. Once these vesicles reach a healthy cell, the cell is reprogrammed in favor of the cancer cells. There are currently no drugs to prevent this process. This project will involve testing a selection of molecules as drugs to make this possible in the future.
Opportunities at Biotech Booster
Biotech Booster has received 246 million Euros (49 million of which was unconditional) from the National Growth Fund for projects that make a major contribution to economic growth. Some of this funding is currently being used to boost biotech discoveries in human health, diagnostics and therapeutics. Researchers can submit applications to Biotech Booster for a grant to take their biotech discovery to market.
While the date of the following round of subsidies isn’t known yet, any interested researchers should contact Jessie van Buggenum at the Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus: jessie.vanbuggenum@brightlands.com.
Check the Biotech Booster website for more information.
Source: Brightlands newsletter
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