XNA-HUB, platform to boost therapeutic modified oligonucleotides

The creation of the XNA-HUB platform involves a multidisciplinary consortium composed of the company Nostrum Biodiscovery, a joint spin-off of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the IRB Barcelona; the Nucleic Acid Chemistry group of the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC); the Nucleic Acid NMR Spectroscopy group of the Blas Cabrera Institute of Physical Chemistry (IQF–CSIC); and the Molecular Modeling and Bioinformatics group of the IRB Barcelona.

The objective is the development of innovative therapies based on chemically modified oligonucleotides (XNA, “Xeno Nucleic Acid”) to enhance their properties for drug development targeting various chronic and oncological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and various types of cancer. All partners specialize in different areas involved in the drug development cycle based on oligonucleotides. This platform also aims to position Spain as a leader in the field of nucleic acids and provide valuable technological resources for the country’s growth.

The project has been selected to receive funding as one of the Strategic Projects for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE), which will be a significant boost to its development.

Modified nucleic acids are one of the most promising pharmacological strategies at the moment. To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have approved around 20 therapies based on nucleic acids. The market volume for these therapies is expected to grow at an annual rate of 13.35% until 2027, with estimated revenues of $3.9 million, according to industry sources.

R+D article

Communication CSIC Catalunya

Alejandro Rodríguez