ROKIT Healthcare(376900) said on the 16th that its subsidiary, precision omics analysis corporations Lokitgenomics, filed five fundamental patents related to an epigenetics-based rejuvenation platform.
The applications cover five key organs: the lungs, liver, skin, retina, and kidneys. The company said it expects the patents, which involve a technology that epigenetically controls the mechanisms that cause aging, to provide a foundation for securing technological competitiveness in the global regenerative medicine market.
CRISPR-Cas9, which is mainly used in existing gene therapies, corrects DNA by cutting it directly, and has been cited as having limits due to the potential for unintended gene edits and DNA damage.
By contrast, Lokitgenomics' technology does not directly modify DNA but only controls the activity of specific genes. The company said it lowered the risk of permanent gene edits by reversibly regulating the expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress, which become abnormal during aging.
The company expects the technology to be used to treat aging-related diseases such as impaired liver function, fatty liver, and liver fibrosis.
The patents are also characterized by designs that control genes according to the characteristics of each organ. Because the environments that regulate gene expression differ by organ, such as the lungs, liver, and kidneys, the designs enable operation in the most suitable way for each organ.
Lokitgenomics signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with RNA-based gene therapy corporations Rznomics and will also pursue joint research that combines its epigenetics-based rejuvenation technology with Rznomics' circular RNA platform. It also plans to integrate with parent company ROKIT Healthcare's AI-based bioprinting technology to develop an organ regeneration platform.
A ROKIT Healthcare official said, "These patents are technologies designed to enable optimal gene control by analyzing organ-specific epigenetic environments," adding, "Based on a rejuvenation platform that ensures safety and reversibility, we plan to pursue joint research and technology transfer with global pharmaceutical companies."