IIT Kanpur signs MoU with Reliance Life Sciences, hopes to ‘revolutionise’ gene therapy

In a first, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. to license a technology “which has the potential to revolutionise the field of gene therapy — especially for various genetic eye diseases”, claimed a statement released by IIT.
Developed by professor Jayandharan Giridhara Rao and Shubham Maurya of the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering (BSBE), IIT Kanpur, this is the first time that a gene therapy-related technology has been developed and transferred from an academic institution to a company in India, added the statement.
Gene therapy is a way to replace a faulty gene with its functional version to treat disorders and is one of the most potent applications of recombinant DNA technology, wherein DNA from multiple sources are combined to efficiently deliver a healthy copy of the faulty gene, so that production of protein from the introduced gene is sustained for life.
Developed by professor Jayandharan Giridhara Rao and Shubham Maurya of the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering (BSBE), IIT Kanpur, this is the first time that a gene therapy-related technology has been developed and transferred from an academic institution to a company in India, added the statement.
Gene therapy is a way to replace a faulty gene with its functional version to treat disorders and is one of the most potent applications of recombinant DNA technology, wherein DNA from multiple sources are combined to efficiently deliver a healthy copy of the faulty gene, so that production of protein from the introduced gene is sustained for life.
Source: Theprint