ExoVectory is a biotechnology company that develops EXOSOMES as a revolutionary new type of delivery system for (gene) therapeutics. Exosomes are tiny vesicles secreted by cells of the human body with superior properties to travel over long distances, e.g. capable to reach the brain from the blood stream. ExoVectory has unique technology to load exosomes with incredibly powerful gene therapeutics, which opens novel opportunities towards treatment of a variety of diseases.
ExoVectory is a spin-off from the Erasmus MC, The Netherlands. The company was founded in 2020 by lead investigator Jeroen de Vrij based on his discoveries on a very special type of exosome loading technology. This technology is unique in its kind and allows for highly efficient loading of exosomes with therapeutic DNAs and/or proteins. The founding team of ExoVectory consists of Jeroen de Vrij (CSO), complemented by business specialists Cees Juffermans and Ernst Ligthart. This team is currently expanded and strengthened and is backed up by a multitude of advisors and ambassadors consisting of scientists, medical doctors and well-known senior biotech entrepreneurs.
Jeroen is a well-recognized expert in the field of gene therapy, exosomes and oncolytic viruses for cancer treatment. After obtaining his PhD (development of oncolytic viruses, 2012, LUMC Leiden), he has become one of the pioneers and world-leaders in the field of exosomes. He strongly believes that exosomes have the potential to serve as new type of therapy for many currently untreatable diseases and has been part of many ground-breaking studies in the exosome field.
Besides his role as CSO in ExoVectory he holds a faculty staff position at the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Dept. of Neurosurgery, has hold numerous positions in scientific-societal organizations, incl. board member in the Dutch Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, and actively participates in committees and activities to facilitate translation of gene therapies towards the patient.
ExoVectory has unique technology to load exosomes with therapeutic DNA, opening up tremendous opportunities towards novel types of improved gene therapies. With our proprietary Exosome Loading Proteins (ELPs) we can incorporate DNA of up to 30,000 base pairs, thereby outperforming other types of well-known gene therapy vectors, such as adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors. With this system we can deliver a diversity of therapeutic DNAs, such as large transgenes or DNA templates for CRISPR-Cas technology. We have also been able to package full-length DNA genomes of oncolytic viruses, which are viruses that specifically kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed.
Our loaded exosomes show superior delivery properties, including improved penetration in tumor masses and are “stealthy”: invisible from pre-existing neutralizing antibodies. In addition, ExoVectory has technology to also load proteins in/on exosomes, which, for instance, allows targeting of the exosomes to specific cell types or tissues.
We employ state-of-the art production technology (producer cells, purification technology, characterization technology, GMP compatible/clinical-grade), which enables rapid and cost-affordable translation of our exosome products towards the clinic.
A major spearhead for ExoVectory is the development of exosomes as a new tool for improved treatment of cancer. For this we take two approaches: 1) Using exosomes to better deliver (gene) therapy to cancer cells after applying the exosomes into the patient (in vivo approach), and 2) Using exosomes as a tool for improved creation of ex vivo T-cell therapy by providing all-in-one CRISPR-Cas machinery into the T-cells (ex vivo approach). For the in vivo approach we focus on different types of cancers that are highly aggressive and escape from current treatments because of tumor cell metastasis / migration. As such, we have obtained highly promising proof-of-concept data for glioblastoma brain cancer, for which we have demonstrated (in a pre-clinical setting) efficient delivery to and killing of the cancer cells. For the ex vivo approach our exosome technology will offer THE solution to the field of ex vivo (CAR / TCR) T-cell therapy to enable the T-cell modification via the newest generations of CRISPR-Cas. ExoVectory’s exosome tool provides the unique feature for efficient, “clean” (non-toxic), non-viral delivery of all the CRISPR-Cas machinery components (Cas9, gRNA, DNA template) to bring in the CAR or TCR into the T-cells. This brings important advantages as compared to delivery with lentiviral vectors, electroporation or lipid nanoparticles. We develop different variants of our exosome products to allow for most optimal, personalized cancer therapy. We bring hope towards treatment of a variety of cancers that are currently untreatable, using our exosome precision medicines.
Recent decades have witnessed the birth of revolutionary genome editing tools or “molecular genome scissors”, in particular CRISPR-Cas technology. Although these tools are expected to revolutionize healthcare, opening first-time-ever opportunity to correct many types of genetic diseases, the quest remains to develop delivery systems that can efficiently and safely deliver these tools to the correct cells and tissues. ExoVectory brings in THE technology to achieve this, by allowing the packaging of incredibly large and complex editing tools (DNA and/or proteins) into exosomes. In partnership with world-leading entities in the field of gene therapy, both at academia and industry, ExoVectory will revolutionize gene therapy to allow treatment of various currently untreatable and fatal genetic diseases.
We are incredibly happy to be one of the awardees of the prestigious Eurostars grant, part of the European Union Eureka Network (3 year project, total value €1,5Mio). To further develop ExoVectory’s exosome delivery platform to deliver CRISPR-Cas genome-editing machinery into cancer-killing T-cells. We join forces with UMC Utrecht (Pieter Vader lab), Utrecht University (Olivier de Jong lab) and EVerZom France. This brings in unique synergy with regards to exosome engineering, CRISPR-Cas tools and T-cell studies and state-of-the-art knowledge and equipment for clinical-grade productions and upscaling of our exosome products.
This week Munzur Lacin, PhD student at Erasmus MC, Dept. of Neurosurgery, has received the prize for best poster presentation at the NLSEV conference in Rotterdam. He presented his work on “Exosomes as a novel vector system to deliver kinase inhibiting peptides in glioblastoma cells”, which was judged as outstanding and highly promising by the committee. Congratulations Munzur!
Jeroen de Vrij and Roland Leathers (Sr. Manager Strategic Alliances at Thermo Fisher Scientific) hosted a free online webinar about the future of exosome therapies. The webinar can be viewed at:
https://www.labroots.com/webinar/exploring-extracellular-vesicles-unlocking-potential-ev-research
Erasmus MC, ExoVectory and biotech company Applikon-Getinge have obtained subsidy from the Dutch TKI (Topconsortia voor Kennis en Innovatie), Health Holland fund to develop ExoVectory’s exosome technology for treatment of highly aggressive metastasized prostate cancer. With this (3yr) project ExoVectory further strengthens its research collaborations with Erasmus MC, to prepare its exosome technology as a tool for treatment of highly aggressive cancers, such as (metastasized) prostate cancer and brain cancer.
We are very happy to welcome two additional stars on board of ExoVectory. Dr. Wouter W. Woud, specialist exosome analysis and Mr. Emerson Bryan Dilla, specialist production and isolation, recently joined the club. Our science team is working hard to get the exosome technology to the next stage, both at our discovery side at Erasmus MC and at our development side at the Leiden Bio Science Park.
NWO has awarded project EXPERT (Exosomes to delivery cancer-killing peptides to eradicate tumor cells) to Erasmus MC, Dr. De Vrij and Dr. Luider for a 3yr project, total value € 920k, to develop therapy for glioblastoma brain cancer based on ExoVectory’s proprietary exosome delivery system. Besides Erasmus MC and ExoVectory, the project involves other participants to create unique synergy, i.e. LUMC, UMCU, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Mimetas B.V., Excytex and Stichting STOPhersentumoren.
ExoVectory has obtained the exclusive license from Erasmus MC, NL to further develop and commercialize the exosome loading technology. This includes developments in therapeutic areas including, but not limited to, gene therapy, cancer and vaccines for infectious diseases.
ExoVectory has obtained an ErasSupport grant consisting of growth capital and know-how to strengthen its developments on exosome therapies. The grant will be used to perform further studies on the use of exosomes to treat devastating types of cancer.