Nautilus Biotechnology Partners with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) to Investigate Applications of Single-Molecule Proteomic Analysis in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)
Nautilus Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAUT; or “Nautilus”), a company pioneering a single-molecule protein analysis platform, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, today announced a partnership to explore the utility of the Nautilus platform by studying specific protein targets in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare and often fatal childhood cancer.
The goal of the partnership between Nautilus and TGen is to better understand the epigenetic mechanisms at work in DIPG by interrogating the proteoform landscape of specific proteins at the single-molecule level. In doing so, TGen plans to explore the combination of alterations and modifications present on these proteins (proteoforms) that are not possible to detect by peptide-based protein analysis methods.
This collaboration represents the fifth early collaboration program for Nautilus as it advances towards broader platform access in 2023 and commercial launch in 2024.
“In line with our strategy to collaborate throughout the development process of our platform, we are excited to begin piloting single-molecule applications of our technology with the incredibly motivated and talented research team at TGen,” said Nick Nelson, Chief Business Officer at Nautilus Biotechnology. “TGen has long been a pioneer in the field of oncology precision medicine, and we’re looking forward to building on this partnership to help pave the way for single-molecule proteomics to deliver new insights in cancer research.”
“We are excited to work with Nautilus in being able to characterize the proteome in DIPG to further our understanding of this aggressive brain cancer,” said Dr. Stephanie Pond, Vice President of Emerging Opportunities at TGen.
DIPG is a brain tumor that occurs in an area of the brainstem (the pons) which controls many of the body’s most vital functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. Because of its location in the brain and how rapidly it progresses, DIPG is difficult to treat and is regarded as a high-grade malignant brain tumor. DIPG is characterized by specific mutations in genes coding for histone proteins. These affected histones then reprogram the epigenome, ultimately leading to cancer.
“Nautilus’ ability to measure mutations and post-translational modifications on individual histone molecules will provide critical new insights into how proteoform variation drives the biology of this terrible disease,” said Dr. Patrick Pirrotte, Associate Professor at TGen and Director of Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The partnership will commence in early 2023 and the team intends to publish its findings once the study is completed.
About Nautilus Biotechnology, Inc.
With its corporate headquarters in Seattle and its research and development headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nautilus is a development stage life sciences company creating a platform technology for quantifying and unlocking the complexity of the proteome. Nautilus’ mission is to transform the field of proteomics by democratizing access to the proteome and enabling fundamental advancements across human health and medicine.
About TGen, part of City of Hope
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life-changing results. TGen is part of City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. This precision medicine affiliation enables both institutes to complement each other in research and patient care, with City of Hope providing a significant clinical setting to advance scientific discoveries made by TGen. TGen is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes and infectious diseases through cutting-edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research toward patient benefit). TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and complex rare diseases in adults and children. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities worldwide, TGen makes a substantial contribution to help patients through efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process.