Humacyte and Pluristyx Announce Gene Editing Partnership to Support BioVascular Pancreas (BVP™) Development Using iPSCs

Core Viewpoint - Humacyte, Inc. and Pluristyx, Inc. have expanded their partnership to develop the BioVascular Pancreas (BVP™), aimed at treating insulin-dependent diabetes through gene editing and immune-evading iPSCs [1][2][3] Company Overview - Humacyte is a biotechnology platform company focused on developing universally implantable bioengineered human tissues and organ systems, with recent FDA approval for its acellular tissue engineered vessel (ATEV™) for vascular trauma [5] - Pluristyx specializes in cellular therapies, providing iPSC lines and gene editing technologies to support the development of such therapies [4] Partnership Details - The partnership involves Pluristyx providing gene editing services to create immune-evading iPSCs for Humacyte's BVP, which will utilize Humacyte's ATEV as a carrier for insulin-producing islets [2][3] - The BVP is currently in pre-clinical development and has not yet received regulatory approval [3] Technological Advancements - Pluristyx has developed a clinical-grade manufacturing process using Mad7 gene editing technology to block HLA marker expression, which is crucial for the BVP's functionality [2] - Humacyte is optimizing the differentiation process of iPSCs into pancreatic islet components to help normalize glucose levels in diabetic patients [2][3] Market Potential - The BVP is positioned as a highly needed organ system for treating insulin-dependent diabetes, indicating significant market potential for both companies [3]