nir-vana innovation network

Italian university department of biology and biotechnology is offering the construction of cell lines for the production of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells to be used for structural biology studies.

Recombinant proteins are particularly relevant in various fields, from drug production and diagnosis to basic research. The expiration of patents for therapeutic protein drugs opens up opportunities for biosimilars to enter the market since pharmaceutical companies are willing to obtain their own expression systems.

The production in mammalian cells, although expensive, is necessary for many proteins whose function is dependent on posttranslational modifications. We developed a mammalian vector-host cell system which allows high production efficiency, thereby decreasing production costs. We offer to the market the construction of stable mammalian cell lines (human or hamster) constitutively expressing any protein of interest. The system is already working very well and has been used successfully for the construction of human and Chinese hamster cell lines hyper-expressing different proteins such as hydroxylase 3 (LH3) and human erythropoietin.

The service includes protein characterization through mass spectrometry (MALDI - TOF/TOF), western blotting, quantitative analysis of RNA by RT-PCR, cellular characterization by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and several additional molecular and cellular biology methods.

The University is looking for international partners such as companies, active in the pharmaceutical field, universities and research centres. The types of partnership considered are technical and research cooperation agreements, in order to explore the innovative application, research and development solution on recombinant protein.

Advantages & innovations

Through this system, the university can deliver cell lines producing high-quality recombinant proteins for industrial applications (production of protein-based drugs, development of new drugs) and for basic research (structural and biochemical studies on human proteins). In particular, their system can be used to produce “biosimilar drugs”, that gained great interest after the expiration of important international patents. The activity includes protein characterization through mass spectrometry (MALDI - TOF/TOF), western blotting, quantitative analysis of RNA by RT-PCR and cellular characterization by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Main advantages: - Production of recombinant proteins in mammalian cell in culture. The use of mammalian cells is essential for proteins whose functionality relies on post-translational modifications. - Production of higher concentrations of recombinant proteins (up to 200 mg per litre) compared to traditional methods, allowing experiments needing high protein amounts such as crystallography. - Construction of stable cells line, which can be used in several experiments and for long term protein production. In principle, any protein, that is not toxic for mammalian cells, can be produced at high yields. - The system allows reduction of costs through the production of high protein yields and can also include protein and cell line characterization.

Stage of development

Already on the market

Partner sought

Big companies, small and medium enterprises active in the pharmaceutical sector developing biosimilar drugs or any other product for whom recombinant protein are needed both in EU and extra EU. University and research centres developing structural biology studies needing recombinant proteins in mammalian cells. The types of partnership considered are: - technical agreement and research cooperation agreement, in order to explore innovative application and research and development solution on recombinant protein.