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The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has called for Letters of Intent (LoI) for research and development (R&D) projects to generate proof-of-concept for development of cost-effective genome editing-based therapeutics for targeted therapy for diseases having high burden in the country.
The various approaches the eligible scientists or institutions can focus upon through the programme include genome editing based on the tool CRISPR-Cas for disease modelling to understand the etiology of various diseases and to delineate molecular mechanisms that can be exploited for development of cost-effective therapeutics; peptide nucleic acids-based genome editing approaches for treatment of various diseases having genetic basis; and genome editing-based therapeutics for various forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.
The other areas that the research can be held on include development of non-integrative lentiviral vectors for efficient delivery of genome editing constructs for therapeutic purpose; development of Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vectors for efficient delivery of genome editing constructs for therapeutic purpose; and development of non-viral delivery vehicles (liposomes, nanoparticles etc.) for efficient delivery of genome editing constructs for therapeutic purpose.
The DBT said that recent advances in genome editing technologies have widened their range of applications in biomedical research and development. The current surge in the number and range of applications of genome editing technologies largely owes to the introduction of the CRISPR- Cas9 – a genome-editing tool that can be used to make precise and targeted changes in the DNA sequence with much ease.
Being precise, relatively inexpensive, easy-to-use, and remarkably powerful, genome editing technologies developed in the recent years have the immense potential to be used for development of healthcare solutions.
Genome editing technologies owing to the ability of correcting gene sequence as well as to knockout different genes can be used for development of therapeutic solutions for various diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.
“To further research and development (R&D) in this direction, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India invites Letters of Intent (LoIs) on ‘Genome editing- based therapeutics for targeted therapy of human diseases’,” it said.
The scientists, clinicians, researchers or academicians with sound and relevant scientific or clinical and technical backgrounds and relevant publications working in regular capacity in recognised research institutions, medical colleges, academic institutions, can submit the LoI.
They need to submit details including the project title, details of institutions & investigators involved in the project, aims and objectives of the proposal - clearly defining the unmet need being addressed, specific biological/technological questions in the context of the unmet need & its rationale, current state of the proposed technology and research in the Indian and International context, novelty of the proposal, expected outcomes & their potential applications in the Indian context, among others. The last date of submission, according to the DBT’s LoI is December 31, 2022.
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