BIO STUDIO PROJECT
CurE-me
The project will harness the development of an organoid biobank into an endometriosis drug discovery and screening platform, and will test targeted, repurposing and unbiased compound libraries to identify and develop non-toxic therapeutics that directly impact the endometriotic ectopic lesions.
About the Bio Studio program
The Bio Studio Program supports world-class entrepreneurial academic researchers in translating their science into innovative products and solutions. The program’s projects will join BII and establish a team that will work in BII’s office and lab space alongside other Bio Studio projects and start-ups. Bio Studio projects will be supported by a tailored program to develop the teams’ entrepreneurial and commercial competencies and by dedicated BII anchors to help guide project progression.
"Hugo Vankelecom is a Professor and Lab Director of the Stem Cell and Developmental Biology unit at KU Leuven. His research group investigates the role of stem cells in tissues in both health and disease primarily focusing on organs involved in endocrinology and reproduction, in particular the pituitary gland, the master regulator of our hormonal system, and the uterus and ovary, critical organs for successful p..."
Read more“From day one in the Bio Studio program, we will screen for molecules and pathways that can lead to discovering drugs to treat endometriosis. Being able to work towards this sole focus with the BioInnovation Institute (BII) accelerates the project immensely, and that drew me towards being part of the program together with a funding option in an area where it’s difficult to attract funding.”
“We are excited to welcome the CurE-me project to the Bio Studio program to further expand our women’s health portfolio. Patient-derived organoid models hold potential to identify new therapies for complex diseases. The CurE-me project builds on Hugo’s team’s extensive expertise in endometrial organoids to develop new drugs for endometriosis, a debilitating condition that affects at around 190M women worldwide and currently lacks treatments.”
