Science in Translation

TRON´s mission is to bridge the gap between fundamental science at universities and market-oriented research in the pharmaceutical industry. We turn innovative scientific concepts into treatments ready for clinical testing, thereby accelerating the translation of discoveries into progress for patients.

Target Discovery and Validation
Personalized Therapy Development
Preclinical RNA Vaccine Development
Cellular Therapy Development

Target Discovery and Validation

A critical first step in the development of therapies is the identification of actionable disease-specific targets or mechanistic pathways. Here at TRON, our state-of-the-art-equipped functional units work seamlessly through identification, validation, functional studies and target profiling. Throughout the process we keep the patient and clinical success top of mind.

Genomics

By conducting WGS, WES, RNA-seq, miRNA-seq, targeted resequencing, T-cell receptor sequencing and single cell sequencing on platforms from Illumina, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, and 10X genomics, we understand disease genomics on a personalized level. Our custom sample preparation protocols are specifically adapted to tissue and sample types generated (e.g. FFPE).

Bioinformatics

Our sophisticated in-house variant calling and antigen identification pipelines are designed to scan enormous sequencing datasets from tumors and healthy tissues, identifying highly specific targets for distinct tumor entities.

Validation

Diverse application of a suite of simple to complex methods ranging from qPCR to protein expression analysis on tissue and suitable cell culture models allows further validation of hit candidates.

Biosampling

Meticulous procurement, storage, processing, and management of biospecimens are crucial for the successful analysis of single samples and cohorts. We employ a robust biobanking system for tracking storage and quantity of in-house samples and biospecimen collection and processing.

Personalized Therapy Development

Patient-centered molecular analysis of a disease is a key pillar to personalized therapies and is at the heart of our translational research. Advances in genomic and proteomic screening technologies have greatly improved the capacity to detect relevant molecular alterations and have paved the way for personalized treatments.

Genomics

Bioinformatics

Serologics

We perform high throughput biomarker discovery on platforms such as high density peptide microarray formats and NGS-assisted phage displays. We identify disease-related (auto) antibody signatures from a broad range of body fluids using bead-based multiplex assays as well as ELISA. Our platforms have been specifically designed for the diagnosis of cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and allergies.

Preclinical Vaccine Development

Following target validation and profiling, lead candidates are developed on a variety of delivery platforms, prioritizing the safety of any potential new product. Testing our findings in a variety of preclinical models allows us to evaluate immunogenicity and stability, empowering effective immunotherapies.

Immunotherapy

Our expertise in neoantigen detection helps us to create specific vaccines using our flexible RNA vaccine vectors, some of which have been shown to be clinically successful. We also explore the combined effects of RNA vaccines with modalities such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and antibody therapy. We generate comprehensive preclinical data packages that pave the way for clinical testing of promising novel combination therapies.

Preclinical Models

In vivo investigation of immunological mechanisms is a central part of translational medical research. We manage an integrated pipeline for all phases of preclinical studies, from experimental design to analysis of results. Our broad expertise includes antibody treatments (therapeutic antibodies or depletion of specific cell populations for mode of action analysis), combination therapy (checkpoint inhibitors, chemotherapy, local radiotherapy) and the use of transgenic models for diverse biological questions. We use immunological methods to characterize the phenotype and function of the tumor microenviroment. Working closely together with other technology platforms, we integrate advanced histology & cryo-IF, q-RT-PCR or state-of-the-art sequencing (such as scSeq) into our preclinical studies.

Imaging

TRON has a variety of imaging platforms allowing visualization at the cellular and organ levels. Among these, multiplex immunofluorescence shows the spatial distribution of specific proteins and immune cells in tissues. This method is particularly helpful when exploring immune evasion mechanisms and finding potential biomarkers. In addition, live imaging reveals the temporal dynamics of the immune response. This is achieved with expertise in advanced histology & cryo-immunofluorescence. In vivo imaging shows real-time events in the whole test subject.

Immunomonitoring

TRON’s immunomonitoring team operates a suite of flow cytometers to capture and isolate a range of immune cells for analysis. Using tailored panels of multiple markers, we analyze the phenotype, activation status and cytokine production profile of stimulated cells. We provide consulting, analysis and data interpretation to internal colleagues and collaboration partners.

Cellular Therapy Development

Cellular immunotherapy is a rapid development and is transforming the way we treat diseases. In vitro-engineered immune cells have shown promising results in patients. We improve the efficacy of cellular therapies and we envision engineering cellular immunotherapies directly in the patient’s body.

Immune Assay

We design preclinical therapeutic studies built on our broad expertise in in vivo antibody treatments, combination therapy (checkpoint inhibitors, chemotherapy, local radiotherapy via an Orthovoltage X-Ray device) and the use of specific transgenic models. We incorporate immunological methods such as IFN-y, ELISpot, tetramer staining, FACS and multi-colour staining protocols (for characterizing the tumor microenviroment) into in vivo experiments.

Imaging

Immunotherapy

At TRON, our expertise in neoantigen detection helps us create specific vaccines using our flexible RNA vaccine vectors, some of which have been shown to be clinically successful. We also explore the combined effects of RNA vaccines with modalities such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and antibody therapy. We generate comprehensive preclinical data packages that pave the way for clinical testing of promising novel combination therapies.

Genomics

Cutting edge research meets innovation.