Ring Therapeutics Publishes a Novel Gene Delivery Platform Based on the Commensal Human Anellovirus

–  Publication describes the first gene delivery vector system based on a human commensal virus, the anellovirus –

– Development of the Self-Amplifying Trans-complementation of a Universal Recombinant aNellovector (SATURN) system enables the packaging of a vector payload into capsids from multiple anelloviruses –

– The Anellovector demonstrates transduction in multiple tissue types including in the mouse eye during interim analysis at nine months and achieves comparable gene expression to dose-matched AAV9 –

Cambridge, Mass. – April 1, 2024 – Ring Therapeutics, a life sciences company founded by Flagship Pioneering to revolutionize programmable medicines with its commensal virome platform, today announced a pre-print publication in bioRxiv featuring the first gene delivery vector system based on a human commensal virus, the anellovirus. These data support the immense promise of Ring’s Anellogy^TM platform, harnessing the unique biology of commensal anelloviruses to engineer the next generation of durable and potentially redosable programmable viral vectors.

“We set out to develop an entirely new vector system based on human commensal viruses to address the many hurdles facing current genetic medicine delivery – and we’ve achieved that goal at remarkable speed,” said Tuyen Ong, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Ring and CEO-Partner at Flagship Pioneering. “Building on our breadth of publications showcasing anellovirus diversity, structure, tropism, and immune privilege, this new publication shows we can successfully harness the unique characteristics of anelloviruses to generate the Anellovector – the first novel viral vector in decades. This work serves as the foundation for multiple vectors coming out of our Anellogy platform and will inform upcoming IND-enabling studies, bringing Anellovectors one step closer to the clinic and patients in need.”

In the publication entitled, “A novel functional gene delivery platform based on a commensal human anellovirus demonstrates transduction in multiple tissue types,” researchers first outlined their development of a novel vector packaging system called SATURN, which packages vector payloads into the capsids of anelloviruses. This technology could enable the Anellogy platform to take advantage of the remarkable diversity of anelloviruses. In vitro function of Anellovectors in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells was validated, and viral genomes were detected in the nuclei of cells by in situ hybridization. In vivo studies in mice demonstrated durable function for nine months after subretinal administration and achieved comparable expression to dose-matched AAV9 when transduced by the intracerebroventricular route of administration. Altogether, this publication strengthens the potential of Ring’s Anellogy platform to generate a new class of viral vectors that could successfully evade the immune system and exhibit tissue-specific tropism, potentially overcoming some of the major challenges facing gene therapy today.