OUR APPROACH
Advancing Innovative Science and Technology
ߊ Design Protein with Function
We are now entering an era of rational protein design for therapeutic purpose. Designing a protein with predetermined structure and function, once viewed formidable, has now become possible and increasingly used in modern drug design. At IMNEWRUN, we design proteins de novo as well as using AI-based generative approach. Our first technology platform is TRANSMAB®, super-selective brain delivery platform of a therapeutic antibody, which provides a transformative solution with a significantly enhanced therapeutic index for CNS diseases.
All atom imposition with electron density by 2.7Å (590k single particle analysis).
10 nm
Scheme of Peptide Design for Receptor Binding
Internal Cryo-EM Data of Human Transferrin Receptor
William DeGrado is a Professor of Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a member of the National Academy Sciences. He was the first to successfully design and construct a protein “from scratch” and pioneered the design of peptides that not only fold into protein-like structures but also incorporate desired functionalities. Prof. DeGrado has been our scientific advisor for various technology platforms being developed by IMNEWRUN.
Yong Ho Kim is an Associate Professor of SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT) & Department of Nano Engineering at the Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU). He is also a co-founder and Vice President leading the Generative Biology team at IMNEWRUN. Under his leadership and in close academic collaboration with his laboratory, IMNEWRUN creates advanced technology platforms and treatment modalities to address challenging medical unmet needs.
ߊ Discover Biology from Patient’s Cell
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has been a paradigm shift in disease modeling, drug development and precision medicine. Recent advances include reprogramming a patient’s somatic cells into iPSC and differentiate these cells into disease-relevant cell types for in vitro screening platform for drug evaluation.
At IMNEWRUN, we explore molecular mechanism of various disease using iPSC and genome editing techniques through close academic collaboration with Jaecheol Lee, Assistant Professor of the School of Pharmacy, SKKU and his laboratory. Prof. Lee is also Vice President leading the Discovery Biology team at IMNEWRUN. Under his leadership, we explore the fundamental science and mechanism of action for various technology platforms and treatment modalities being developed at IMNEWRUN.
iPSC-derived motor neuron, brain, and heart organoids
Source: J-Lab with courtesy of Prof. JC Lee
(A) Representative confocal images of iPSC derived motor neuron (MN). iPSC-MN were stained with specific antibodies against ISL1(red) and SMI32(green). Blue represented HOECHST staining. (B) Representative bright-field image of iPSC derived brain organoid (cerebral organoid) (left). Representative confocal images of iPSC-brain organoid (right). iPSC-brain organoid were stained with specific antibodies against SOX2(red) and TUJ1(white). Blue represented HOECHST staining. (C) Representative confocal images of iPSC derived heart organoid (HO) (left and middle). iPSC-HO were stained with specific antibodies against TNNT2(red), GOL1A1(green) and NFATC1(green). Blue represented HOECHST staining. Representative bright-field movie of iPSC-HO (right).
ߊ TRANSMAB® Crossing the BBB
We have delicate and sophisticated in-house knowhow for the evaluation of blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration of a large molecule. Using real-time live imaging, the transcytosis of TRANSMAB® bound on brain vessels crossing through the brain endothelium to the abluminal side is shown below.
Top.Representative images of the TRANSMAB® in different compartments of brain endothelial cells.
Bottom. TRANSMAB® crossing the brain endothelium to the abluminal side over time. White arrows indicate adhering or internalized clusters and yellow arrows indicate abluminal clusters.
Minah Suh is a Professor of Department of Biomedical Engineering, SKKU. Prof. suh is also a co-founder and Vice President leading the In Vivo Pharmacology team at IMNEWRUN. Under her leadership and in close academic collaboration with the her laboratory, we explore the underlying mechanism and its proof-of-concept for evaluation of various technology platforms and treatment modalities being developed by IMNEWRUN.