Advancing cell and gene therapy through strategic EU partnerships with CTGCT in Slovenia

One year since its launch, the Centre for the Technologies of Gene and Cell Therapy (CTGCT) continues to make significant strides in advancing cell and gene therapies, with UCL remaining committed to playing a strategic role in the partnership. This landmark €30m EU-funded project aims to enable the development of advanced therapies and technologies for the treatment of rare diseases and cancers, including neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer immunotherapy, across Europe. 

UCL’s Strategic Role 

UCL has been named a strategic partner of the CTGCT since December 2022, underscoring its leadership in translational research and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). UCL's participation focuses on providing expertise and sharing knowledge of the translation of advanced therapies through to clinical and commercial settings. Dr. Jane Kinghorn, Director of the UCL Translational Research Office (TRO), leads the project for UCL alongside a team from across the university with expertise in specialist diseases, clinical applications, manufacturing, project management, and grant management. 

Progress and Milestones 

On 16 October, the UCL delegation joined members from other EU project partners, including UMC Utrecht, TU Dresden and Charité Berlin, at the inaugural CTGCT Conference in Slovenia. During the event, the CTGCT team showcased progress towards their translational and scientific research goals, ongoing preclinical work, and efforts to engage Slovenia's biotech ecosystem to elevate the project beyond its initial objectives. 

The first year of the CTGCT has been marked by establishing foundational project frameworks and milestones. These achievements have fostered collaborations across the EU community, enhanced regulatory understanding, strengthened the ATMP ecosystem, and identified significant opportunities for therapeutic innovation. 

Since the project's inception, UCL has played a pivotal role in several key initiatives. These include sharing knowledge and providing strategic advice during project kick-off meetings, organising a webinar to introduce the project and connect CTGCT colleagues with UCL cell and gene therapy experts, and contributing insights based on UCL's ATMP pipeline, which was featured in a CTGCT blog post for its members. 

At the conference, Dr. Jane Kinghorn presented on the drug discovery pathway, sharing UCL’s experiences in new drug development. The talk provided valuable insights into advancing the complex ATMP development process and overcoming common challenges. In addition, four UCL academics, Professors Stephanie Schorge (Professor of Neuroscience) and Jo Ng (Professorial Research Fellow, AAV), Dr Tomas Fox (Senior Research Fellow, Division of Infection & Immunity) and Dr Giulia Massaro (Lecturer in Pharmacology) presented on their exciting translational science to advance therapies in the fields of Cancer and neuroscience.  We already have potentially 3 joint projects with the CTGCT under discussion following the meeting.  

Looking Ahead 
This partnership exemplifies the value of collective efforts in addressing global healthcare challenges and reinforces UCL’s leading position in translational research.  

As the CTGCT enters its second year, UCL remains dedicated to supporting the wider EU research community and aiding the transfer of therapies from laboratories to patients and the market, delivering real-world impact. 

Dr. Jane Kinghorn (second from the right, second row), Director of the UCL Translational Research Office, alongside UCL academics Professors Stephanie Schorge (Professor of Neuroscience) and Jo Ng (Professorial Research Fellow, AAV), and Dr. Tomas Fox (Senior Research Fellow, Division of Infection & Immunity), attended the first CTGCT conference in Slovenia with members of the Centre for the Technologies of Gene and Cell Therapy (CTGCT) and other EU partner institutions.

Links 

• Centre for the Technologies of Gene and Cell Therapy website 
• Review of CTGCT Conference 2024 
• UCL named key strategic partner in EU’s new ‘Centre for the Technologies of Gene and Cell Therapy’ 
• The UCL delegation attends the launch of the 'Centre for the Technologies of Gene and Cell Therapy' 

Image 

• Credit: National Institute of Chemistry/CTGCT 
   

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