EdiGene Announces Publication by Company Scientific Founder in Nature Biotechnology of LEAPER™ 2.0, an Updated Version of the RNA Base Editing Technology Using Engineered Circular ADAR-recruiting RNAs

Research at Prof. Wensheng Wei’s Lab at Peking University, in collaboration with the Company, demonstrates the new design of arRNA can enable more precise and efficient RNA editing.

BEIJING & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EdiGene, Inc., a global biotechnology company, today announced its Scientific Founder Wensheng Wei’s lab at Peking University has published a research article in Nature Biotechnology on an upgraded version of LEAPER™ (Leveraging endogenous ADAR for programmable editing of RNA) that shows significantly improved efficiency and fidelity of RNA editing in vitro and in vivo.

LEAPER™ was developed at the lab at Peking University led by Professor Wensheng Wei and was first reported in Nature Biotechnology in 2019.

“LEAPER 2.0 incorporates multiple engineered elements and significantly improves the on-target editing efficiency while reducing the bystander off-target editing events in vitro and in vivo,” Professor Wei said. “LEAPER is a powerful and versatile RNA editing technology, and our relentless research effort continues to improve its precision and efficiency to support broader applicability for therapy and basic research.”

The paper, Engineered circular ADAR-recruiting RNAs increase the efficiency and fidelity of RNA editing in vitro and in vivo in Nature Biotechnology, is available at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-021-01180-3.

“LEAPER™ has distinct advantages over other gene-editing technologies. With LEAPER™ 2.0, we have achieved proof of concept in multiple preclinical models through AAV delivery, and we are excited about its therapeutic potential as in vivo RNA editing therapies,” said Dong Wei, Ph.D., CEO of EdiGene. “We have built up internal capabilities both in Beijing and in Boston and formed collaborations with top research institutes to advance our lead programs, and are in discussions with potential industry partners as well to accelerate the translation of this exciting platform for patients in need worldwide.”

In November 2021, EdiGene announced separate research collaborations with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Peking Union Medical College Hospital designed to further advance the development and translation of LEAPER™.

Both Prof. Wensheng Wei and Dr. Dong Wei will be presenting the research and therapeutic application of LEAPER™ 2.0 at the 3^rd RNA Editing Summit on April 5-7, 2022 in Boston, and Dr. Dong Wei will be presenting at the 23^rd annual TIDES USA Conference on May 9-12, 2022 in Boston.

About EdiGene, Inc
EdiGene is a global, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on translating gene editing technologies into transformative therapies for patients with serious genetic diseases and cancer. The company has established its proprietary ex vivo genome-editing platforms for hematopoietic stem cells and T cells, in vivo therapeutic platform based on RNA base editing, and high-throughput genome-editing screening to discover novel targeted therapies. Founded in 2015, EdiGene is headquartered in Beijing, with offices in Guangzhou and Shanghai, China and Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. More information can be found at www.EdiGene.com.