[LUM#17] Biotechnology from Montpellier

Sys2Diag: a revolution in diagnostics

High-performance, affordable, and easy-to-use diagnostic tests are the credo of the Sys2diag laboratory. "A historic laboratory for innovation in medical diagnostics in France and Europe," emphasizes its director, Franck Molina. A pioneer in innovation, but also a pioneer in the practice of public-private partnerships, the Modeling and Engineering of Complex Biological Systems for Diagnostics laboratory is the result of an alliance between the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) and the Alcen group. "This structure allows us to accelerate innovation by combining fundamental research with medical applications," emphasizes the recipient of the 2020 CNRS Innovation Medal . And applications abound at Sys2Diag. The speed with which the company developed the EasyCov rapid saliva test for Covid-19 is a testament to this, and it's just the tip of the iceberg. Franck Molina has a wealth of diagnostic tests in his arsenal, each more revolutionary than the last. Starting with the first psychiatric blood test developed by Alcediag for bipolar disorder and depression, which can even help to assess and anticipate the risk of suicide attempts in patients.

While one test requires a blood sample, others are non-invasive. Their secret? Synthetic biology, which allows for the design and programming of artificial cells, like biomachines, to perform non-natural tasks. The result: self-tests that can be performed anywhere without going to a laboratory. Sys2Diag, in partnership with Skillcell, developed the world's first urine insulin resistance test, called IDIR. "It's the first prediabetes test, meaning you can identify a risk of diabetes before it even develops."

These tests will also be found… at the edge of stadiums, thanks to a saliva-based concussion test that can be used in real time during a match. “It allows us to objectively assess the severity of the concussion in order to determine the necessary follow-up care, for professional players as well as amateurs or even children,” explains Franck Molina, who successfully turned this initial experiment into a reality. The researcher is now working on a novel test designed to objectively measure… well-being. “We have identified the markers involved, but for now we can’t talk about them.” To live happily, live hidden.

See also:

EasyCov's First Launch

Ciloa: Packages full of therapeutic promise

These tiny natural vesicles could well revolutionize medicine, and yet just a few years ago, no one would have bet on them. "For a long time, exosomes were considered the garbage dumps of cells," recalls Robert Mamoun. He sees them quite differently. "In fact, an exosome is more like a postal package." Why such an analogy? "We can modify both the proteins on its surface and those inside, making it a package whose destination address and contents we could change." The Inserm virologist foresaw the full therapeutic potential of these properties as early as 2008. "Thanks to exosomes, we can, for example, mimic a virus that has no pathogenic power; this is the basis of an ideal, completely natural vaccine."

To explore this potential, Robert Mamoun founded the company Ciloa in 2011 with virologist Bernadette Trentin, which was incubated at the University of Montpellier for eight years. And while Big Pharma has now recognized the value of exosomes, the Montpellier-based company remains "the oldest and most experienced in the world in this research."

This research isn't limited to vaccines; it also allows for the development of therapeutic antibodies and new drugs, particularly in oncology. "We can attach a homing device to the exosome, which then delivers an anti-cancer drug directly to the tumor. This allows for more targeted, and therefore more effective, treatment while limiting side effects," explains Robert Mamoun. Another target for exosomes is diabetes. "Our technology delivers a protein that acts at the source of diabetes by preventing insulin resistance; it's very effective." With a patent filed in 2021, Ciloa is at the forefront of this research and hopes to begin human clinical trials by the end of 2023.

Biodol: Relieving chronic pain

This offers hope for relief for the 7 to 9% of the population who suffer from chronic neuropathic pain, defined as "pain caused by nerve damage that lasts for more than three months and persists even after the triggering cause has been treated," explains Jean Valmier. This "pain-disease" is one against which no medication is truly effective… for now. The researcher from the Montpellier Neuroscience Institute (INM) has made a major breakthrough in understanding the mechanism responsible for this persistent pain. One of the keys to this advance is FLT3, a receptor located on the neuron that is activated by a molecule called FL. "It is their interaction that triggers a chain reaction in the sensory system, leading to chronic pain. If this receptor is inhibited, the pain disappears."

All that remained was to find that elusive inhibitor to silence the pain… To achieve this, Jean Valmier, along with Fabien Granier and Didier Rognan, founded Biodol Therapeutics in 2015. Thousands of molecules tested and four patents later, the company, which now has six employees, is the only one in the world working on these drug candidates. “We are quite confident because we have two chemical series that are yielding very satisfactory results and at least one molecule that should be selected as a pre-clinical candidate before the end of 2022, which means that human trials could begin in 2024.”

A horizon that is drawing closer for the nearly 4 million patients in France who suffer from pain every day. "It's a huge public health issue ," emphasizes Jean Valmier. "For the patients, of course, but also for the doctors who are desperate because they can't do much, and finally for the pharmaceutical industry because such a drug would be a blockbuster, as they say." A major production from Montpellier, coming soon to theaters.

See also:

EasyCov's First Launch

SeqOne Genomics: more targeted treatments thanks to personalized medicine

Understanding the specific characteristics of a disease to better treat patients is the goal of personalized medicine. This type of medicine requires access to the "personalized blueprint" that is each individual's genome, and deciphering and interpreting the thousands of mutations that permeate our DNA sequences. This is where the startup SeqOne Genomics comes in, offering high-performance genomic data analysis solutions for personalized medicine. Its objective is to improve the clinical care of patients with cancer and rare and hereditary diseases. Founded in 2017 with the support of SATT AxLR, the University of Montpellier, and Inserm, the company has already garnered numerous awards, such as the iLab Prize and the Hélène Starck Prize – which recognizes young researchers supported by the ARC Foundation – and boasts a strong position in the French market. A winning model for SeqOne Genomics, which reached a new milestone in early 2022 by raising €20 million to accelerate the deployment of genomic medicine. The company aims to build on this success by investing in a new area of ​​development: "the market for biopharmaceutical companies developing new therapies," explains Jean-Marc Holder, Head of Strategy and Innovation at SeqOne Genomics. The promise of more targeted treatments thanks to a better understanding of disease mechanisms—that's also what personalized medicine is all about.

See also:

• SeqOne Genomics is expanding internationally
• SeqOne Genomics: Boosting Covid-19 testing capacity