IIT Kanpur News: In a historic moment, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) has licensed a gene therapy technology to Reliance Life Sciences Pvt Ltd. It has the potential to revolutionize the field of gene therapy, especially for several genetic eye diseases. Many genetic disorders are caused by faulty genes. ‘Gene therapy’ is a method of replacing the defective gene with a functional version of the gene to treat such disorders. This is the first time in India that technology related to a gene therapy has been transferred by an educational institution to a company. IIT Kanpur’s gene therapy technology will be developed as an indigenous product by Reliance Life Sciences. Genetic diseases of the eye are treated with this technology. Also read: Saathi Portal will support students, they will be able to prepare for IIT and NEET for free, know what is special, these people took part in the program, on Friday the technology licensing agreement between IIT Kanpur and Reliance Life Sciences Pvt Ltd was formalized Stamped from On this occasion Prof. Abhay Karandikar (Director, IIT Kanpur) and K. V. Subramaniam (Licensee and Chairman, Reliance Life Sciences) Prof. Ankush Sharma (PIC, Innovation & Incubation IIT Kanpur), Prof. Amitabh Bandyopadhyay (Head, BSBE Dept.), Prof. Jayandharan Giridhar Rao (BSBE Dept.) IIT Kanpur among others. and Dr. Venkat Ramana (CSO) and Mr. Praveen Sharma (General Manager) of Reliance Life Sciences. What is gene therapy? The patented technology developed by Prof Jayandharan Giridhar Rao and Mr Shubham Maurya from the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering (BSBE), IIT Kanpur, modifies the genes of an organism to treat a genetic disorder. Site in this case refers to a specific location on the adeno-associated virus (AAV) (viral vector) used for gene therapy. Also read: Two new MTech courses will start in IIT Kanpur, know how to get admission Technology modifies this space, to optimize its ability to deliver genes to affected cells and improve its effectiveness. The technology has the potential to improve gene therapy for many inherited diseases, especially genetic eye diseases. This technology has shown significant results in correcting vision impairment in animal trials. What did the IIT professor say? IIT Kanpur Director Prof. Abhay Karandikar said, ‘IIT Kanpur is committed to developing impactful technologies in the field of healthcare and we are happy to transfer this gene therapy technology to Reliance Life Sciences. Gene therapy using viral vectors has recently emerged as a powerful tool in the field of medicine. “We believe this technology will be very promising for the treatment of a wide range of genetic eye diseases, including Leber congenital amaurosis, an eye disorder present from birth, and retinitis pigmentosa, a disease characterized by progressive persistent vision loss,” he added. Will prove to be a big boon. “At IIT Kanpur, we are seeing many such impactful technologies being developed in the near future for many such genetic disorders and are excited to see its impact in the years to come,” said the professor. We have recently established the Mehta Family Center for Engineering in Medicine at IIT Kanpur to take forward such areas of research. Mr. K.V. Subramaniam said, ‘We are happy to have the opportunity to work with IIT Kanpur to further develop this important technology. Reliance Life Sciences is a research-driven, medical biotechnology company and we look forward to collaborating and taking this innovative technology forward for commercialization.’ Reliance Life Sciences is developing several gene therapy based products to meet clinical needs. In addition to gene therapy, Reliance Life Sciences is developing a range of human and animal health vaccines and mRNA products. Gene and cell therapies represent a new and innovative stream of products, aimed at strengthening Reliance Life Sciences’ role in biosimilars and pharmaceutical products. The future of gene therapy is bright and promises to make a positive impact on people’s lives. The licensing of gene therapy technology by IIT Kanpur to Reliance Life Sciences represents a significant step forward in the field of gene therapy and demonstrates IIT Kanpur’s commitment to developing innovative solutions to meet medical needs.
