Syntax Bio Receives Award from Breakthrough T1D to Advance Pancreatic Beta Cell Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes

Funding will accelerate development of manufactured pancreatic beta cells capable of restoring insulin production using Syntax’s Cellgorithm™ technology

CHICAGO & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Syntax Bio, a synthetic biology company programming the next generation of cell therapies, today announced it has received an award of up to $856,250 from Breakthrough T1D, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, under its Industry Discovery and Development Partnership (IDDP) program to advance a pancreatic beta cell therapy targeting T1D using its Cellgorithm platform technology.

“The daily burden for those living with type 1 diabetes is constant, and Breakthrough T1D remains focused on accelerating the path to cures for the disease,” said Nicholas Mamrak, Ph.D., scientist at Breakthrough T1D. “What Syntax is developing has the potential to enable the reliable and scalable production of insulin producing cells with reduced timelines, advancing cell therapies that may one day be a life-changing breakthrough for the entire type 1 diabetes community.”

The grant will support work over two years led by Brad Merrill, PhD, and Ryan Clarke, PhD, co-founders of Syntax Bio. Cellgorithm is a CRISPR-based system that automates the step-by-step activation of genes that guide precursor cells to mature into specific cell types. The technology platform compresses months of costly cell manipulation using external factors into days while increasing scale and reproducibility.

“Pancreatic cell therapy has been constrained for decades by the inability to consistently produce functional beta cells at scale,” Clarke said. “Syntax’s Cellgorithms are designed to solve that problem by programming differentiation like software, with sequential precision, repeatability, and consistent quality. We are grateful for Breakthrough T1D’s support and collaboration, which strengthens our ability to advance this work toward a therapy that can make a meaningful difference for people with T1D.”

The grant is part of Breakthrough T1D’s broader effort to advance innovative research with the potential to reshape treatment for people with T1D.

Syntax rapidly and reliably creates different types of cells, including pancreatic beta cells, using a single delivery of transient DNA that directs how cells mature. By replacing slow manual methods with a sequentially controlled programmable system modeled on human development, Syntax is building a scalable engine for next generation, manufactured regenerative medicines.

“This support strengthens one of the most important programs built on our platform,” said John Craighead, PhD, chief executive officer of Syntax Bio. “Cellgorithms are engineered to produce high quality cells at the speed, scale, and cost required to be an attractive therapeutic approach, and Breakthrough T1D’s support advances the potential of our programmable technology to accelerate discovery and development of a transformative pancreatic beta cell therapy for patients with T1D.”

About Breakthrough T1D Foundation, formerly JDRF

As the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, Breakthrough T1D helps make everyday life with type 1 diabetes better while driving toward cures. The organization invests in promising research, works with government on issues that affect the T1D community, and educates and empowers people living with the condition.

About Syntax Bio

Syntax Bio is a synthetic biology company programming the next generation of cell therapies. Its proprietary Cellgorithm platform uses a CRISPR-based system to accelerate and scale stem cell differentiation, transforming how regenerative medicines are discovered and manufactured. By replacing slow, manual differentiation processes with a rapid, programmable approach that mimics human development, Syntax makes cell generation faster, more reliable, and accessible, unlocking new transformative possibilities for biopharma developers and patients. Learn more at www.syntax-bio.com.