CSEM and Cellvie Achieve Breakthrough in Mitochondrial Therapy

(CONNECT) Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. It occurs when tissues are supplied with blood again after periods of restricted blood flow. Clinical images include heart attacks, strokes, organ transplants and surgical procedures.

Cellvie, based in Technopark Zurich, and the Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique(CSEM), based in Neuchâtel, have developed ways of using the therapeutic potential of mitochondria to repair this damage in a joint Innosuisse project, according to a press release. Mitochondria are cell components that regulate the energy balance of the cells by building up adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

The solution that has now been found can solve a bottleneck in the clinical translation and automation of the mitochondrial production process. cellvie and CSEM designed a new automated solution. The approach aims to deliver active mitochondria that have been harvested and purified from a human cell source during or after reperfusion to revitalize cellular energy metabolism and rescue cells.

In the project, which was funded by Innosuisse with 700,000 Swiss francs, the process of mitochondrial manipulation was automated in a single step. "Establishing a robust and scalable system to isolate mitochondria is essential to ensure bioenergetic functionality and safety, and paves the way to bring revolutionary mitochondrial therapies one step closer to clinical use," Charlotte Fonta, Senior R&D Engineer at CSEM, is quoted as saying in the press release. The next step is to find an external partner to manufacture the clinical and ultimately commercial supply of cellvie's product. ce/ww