2020 Research Milestones Achieved by the Institute and Goals for 2021
COVID-19 Research
Achievements to Date
1. Synthetically created four major genes of COVID-19.
2. Synthetically created the gene for the COVID-19 receptor.
3. Eighty percent of the COVID-19 genome synthetically created.
4. Synthetically created a gene that codes for a universal and proprietary anti-viral biologic to treat infections caused by COVID-19 and some strains of viruses, bacteria and fungus.
5. A method for developing an immortalized postnatal stem cell line for manufacturing vaccines, biologics and gene therapy.
Research Goals for 2021
1. Fuse COVID-19 genes to create a recombinant protein vaccine.
2. Develop a method that combines human cell line with #1 to create small scale amounts of recombinant proteins for vaccine testing in animal models of COVID-19.
3. Complete the platform for the attenuated live vaccine.
4. Subcontract research of the recombinant protein vaccine for animal testing.
5. Create the cell lines for producing proprietary COVID-19 therapeutics.
6. Test the feasibility of a new diagnostic platform.
Regenerative Medicine for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Achievements to Date
1. Created a platform of allogeneic adult stem cell therapy from postnatal stem cells with natural immune-tolerance and ability to deliver specific therapeutic biologics.
2. Identified postnatal stem cell and processes for synthesizing and secreting therapeutic biologics for adult stem cells.
3. Synthetically created genes that code for synthetic peptides that have shown cell protection and cell repair in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, ALS and MS.
4. Gene editing methods to knock-in above therapeutic biologics into postnatal stem cells.
5. Methods to produce induced pluripotent stem cells that are free of viruses and cancer-causing oncogenes.
6. Methods to differentiate (or convert) induced pluripotent stem cells into neural stem cells.
Research Goals for 2021
1. Design, test and identify cell penetrating peptides that can deliver biologics into neural cells.
2. Apply research results of #1 to cultured models of lysosomal storage disease.
3. Genetic modification of adult stem cells to avoid need for immunosuppression with ability to synthesize and secrete a universal therapeutic that promotes cell repair and protection in a variety of common and rare neural cell injury conditions.
Juvenile Diabetes
Achievements to Date
1. Produced a human adult stem cell line that synthesizes and secretes a protein with potential to repair and protect insulin-producing beta cells in juvenile diabetics from autoimmune injury.
Research Goals for 2021
1. Subcontract work to encapsulate adult stem cell line in synthetic biomaterial to validate cell survival and ability to secrete therapeutic biologic.