At the Longevity Summit Dublin 2024, Matthew Scholz, CEO of Oisin Biotechnologies, presented the company’s cutting-edge gene therapy platform designed for longevity applications. Oisin is focused on developing treatments for age-related frailty by enhancing muscle strength and removing fat cells through gene therapy. Scholz detailed the flexibility of their delivery systems, which enable targeted gene therapies for various diseases. His talk also touched on future applications of the technology, including cancer therapies and potential collaborations.

Key Points:

• Oisin Biotechnologies Overview: Matthew Scholz, CEO of Oisin Biotechnologies, introduced the company, which focuses on developing genetic medicines for longevity. The company uses novel gene therapy platforms to address key drivers of ageing-related diseases.
• Innovative Delivery Platforms: Scholz highlighted Oisin's work with viral and non-viral vectors for gene delivery. Their proprietary platform, based on fusogenic proteins, allows for highly efficient delivery of genetic material directly into cells without the limitations of conventional methods.
• Muscle Regeneration for Frailty: One of Oisin’s lead programs targets muscle regeneration to address frailty in ageing populations. Scholz emphasized how maintaining muscle mass and strength is crucial for metabolic health, cognitive function, and overall quality of life.
• Fat Cell Ablation: Oisin is also working on a project to ablate fat cells, specifically targeting conditions like lipedema. This approach uses a suicide gene under the control of an adipocyte-specific promoter to safely remove excess fat cells.
• Gene Therapy Advancements: Scholz discussed the potential of using Oisin's gene therapy platform for other applications, including oncology, where they are developing in-situ CAR-T cell therapy to treat cancer directly inside the patient.
• Collaborations and Future Vision: Oisin Biotechnologies aims to push its platform into broader applications beyond ageing, with the potential for collaborations in various fields. Scholz also noted that the company is raising funds for ongoing projects, with a multinational pharmaceutical company already committed as a lead investor.