Technology
Chondrogenix leverages Mogrify’s systematic big data-science approach (Rackham et al., Nature Genetics, 2016) powered by next-generation sequencing and gene-regulatory data to identify the optimal combination of transcription factors (in vitro) and/or small molecules (in vivo), needed to convert any mature cell type into any other mature cell type without going through a pluripotent stem cell- or even a progenitor cell-state.
Chondrogenix will apply this approach to develop a safe, efficient and scalable source of mature and functional chondrocytes (cartilage cells) to ultimately be used in the clinic to enhance the already approved autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) therapy and create additional allogeneic and in vivo reprograming therapies for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions.
Preliminary morphological characterization of Chondrogenix chondrocytes converted from fibroblasts
Chondrogenix chondrocytes express key marker genes (collagen II, aggrecan and SOX9) at the mRNA level.