#USA #San Diego #Cancer Immunotherapy #RyboDyn #Dark Genome

RyboDyn, Inc.'s Groundbreaking Discovery in Immunotherapy

In a significant advancement for biotechnology, RyboDyn, Inc., based in San Diego, announced a groundbreaking discovery of a previously uncharted proteome in humans. This revelation, coupled with the successful closing of a $4 million pre-seed financing round, positions the company to make influential strides in the realm of cancer immunotherapy. The funding round was co-led by prominent investors Genedant Capital and SeaX Ventures, alongside further contributions from SOSV and Swell VC.

RyboDyn's focus is on targeting the 'dark proteome,' which includes proteins hidden from conventional sequencing technologies. The urgency to innovate in cancer treatment strategies has never been more paramount, prompting RyboDyn to develop its proprietary RNA sequencing method, RyboCypher™. This cutting-edge technology facilitates the high-throughput detection of RNA molecules that existing sequencing methods often overlook. Initial datasets acquired through RyboCypher™ have uncovered what RyboDyn refers to as a 'cryptic' human proteome, revealing thousands of previously unidentified proteins.

Dr. Corey Dambacher, RyboDyn's Co-founder and President, shared insights on the company's discoveries. “Our preliminary experiments led us to identify over 8,000 hidden protein fragments known as peptides, with around 1,000 of these being cancer-specific,” he stated. This significant finding indicates the company’s capability to forge a scalable pathway toward discovering and validating new immunotherapy targets.

Traditionally, it was understood within molecular biology that only about two percent of the human genome encodes for proteins, leaving a staggering 98 percent deemed non-coding or 'junk' DNA. RyboDyn's innovative approach demonstrates that these non-coding regions can indeed encode vital proteins involved in serious diseases, including cancer.

“In terms of target discovery, RyboDyn has presented a major breakthrough,” remarked August Lee, Principal at Genedant Capital. Lee expressed excitement regarding the scalability and applicability of RyboDyn’s approach in treating a wide spectrum of diseases.

What makes RyboDyn’s discovery particularly compelling is the fact that many of the newly identified proteins are uniquely expressed in cancer cells and absent in healthy tissues. This specificity provides a promising target for innovative cancer immunotherapies. Through a unique computational pipeline, RyboDyn prioritizes the discovery of druggable peptides present on the surfaces of cancer cells, now branded as Dark Targets™.

Po Bronson, a General Partner at SOSV, further emphasized RyboDyn’s unique capabilities: “What sets them apart is their ability to visualize proteins in ways others cannot. The proteins discovered have shown conservation across multiple cancer types, amplifying our hope for broader applications.”

The discovery of this novel proteome was originally made by Dr. Dambacher and RyboDyn Co-founder Ashley Woodfin during their tenure at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Knight Cancer Institute. Their findings gained validation from Dr. Alex Jaeger at the Moffitt Cancer Center, solidifying the potential for therapeutic development.

RyboDyn’s initial emphasis on cancer immunotherapies holds promise for broadening its focus across various disease areas such as immunology and neurology, where effective long-term solutions are notably scarce. “Identifying such a vast array of uncharacterized proteins is a rare feat, positioning RyboDyn at the forefront of new therapeutic discoveries,” stated Dr. Kid Parchariyanon, Founder at SeaX Ventures.

Additionally, RyboDyn has secured patent rights for three additional technologies from OHSU, which enhance their capabilities in drug profiling and spatial biology applications. “These advancements will help us innovate in patient stratification and bolster our efforts towards impactful therapeutic discovery,” said Dr. Ajjawi, the company's CEO.

With these newfound targets, RyboDyn aims to collaborate with leading academic institutions and biopharma partners to enhance the development of drug pipelines emphasizing transformative cancer and disease therapies. “As the dark genome sector gains momentum, we believe our strategic approach places us firmly to impact patients' lives significantly,” stated Rusty Ralston, Managing Partner at Swell VC.

In summary, the combination of an innovative proteome discovery and substantial funding empowers RyboDyn, Inc. to pursue pioneering developments in immunotherapy, with intentions to reshape treatment paradigms for cancer and beyond.