Ship of Theseus
A therapeutics company developing degradation-resistant Hox family biologics
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Technology:
Ship of Theseus is developing a proprietary suite of biologics based on the homeobox (HOX) family of transcription factors. HOX genes are master regulators of many context-specific cell phenotypes. This technology leverages modifications made to the conserved degron region of HOX proteins to resist intracellular half-life (HOX+). Combined with cell-penetrating and nuclear targeting peptide motifs, HOX+ unlocks these powerful transcription factors for disease-modifying therapeutics. 
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Advantages: "Shake and Bake"
HOX proteins are difficult to target with cell or nuclear specificity and possess an intracellular half-life on the order of minutes, requiring heavy, repeat dosing. HOX+ modified proteins enter cells within minutes of exposure and resist intracellular degradation for several days, reducing dose frequency and mass. In the clinical setting, HOX+ can be shipped and applied in situ rather than requiring ex vivo culture in a specialized facility. |
News:
Sep 6, 2024 Ship of Theseus CEO Jeremy Elser conducts interview with European Wound Management Association (EWMA) Innovation Alliance (EIA) lead Edwin den Braber. https://lnkd.in/d8-PBi82
May 2, 2024 Ship of Theseus wins the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) Innovation Alliance (EIA) competition for its HOXA3m in chronic wounds. The EWMA is the largest wound conference in the world, drawing 4500 clinicians and industrialists. Ship of Theseus surpassed 10 other elite applicants, including some with veteran executive teams and clinical data. This award has de-risked and accelerated our program both by driving immediate outreach from potential investors/strategic partners and also by generating credibility and excitement among the physicians who will ultimately be required to prescribe our product.
Apr 4, 2024 After a rigorous RFP process, Ship of Theseus announces engagement of Charles River Laboratories (CRL) for GMP manufacturing of its lead candidate for chronic wounds. BusinessWire
Oct 4, 2023 Ship of Theseus and partner CRO Ichor Life Sciences present a poster at DFcon 2023 in Anaheim, CA. Potential strategic partners are engaged for further discussions.
Jun 19, 2023 Ship of Theseus publishes “HOXA3 Accelerates Wound Healing in Diabetic and Aged Non-Diabetic Mammals” in Nature Scientific Reports. Paper recapitulates literature findings of HOXA3 benefit in diabetic mice while also extending to non-diabetic mouse wounds.
Sep 1, 2023 Ship of Theseus is awarded an NHLBI Catalyze R33 grant, extending its work under "Preclinical development of a nuclear-targeting biologic that safely increases stem cell expansion in vivo to accelerate recovery from neutropenia after chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant." Covers in vivo demonstration of optimized molecular formula.
Jun 19, 2023 Ship of Theseus publishes “HOXA3 Accelerates Wound Healing in Diabetic and Aged Non-Diabetic Mammals” in Nature Scientific Reports. Paper recapitulates literature findings of HOXA3 benefit in diabetic mice while also extending to non-diabetic mouse wounds. www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36933-4
Sep 30, 2022. Ship of Theseus is awarded an SBIR NIA Phase I for "An inside out approach that reprograms wound tissue to accelerate chronic wound healing in aging populations." Covers in vitro and in vivo demonstration of HOXA3+ superiority in action on key cell types and non-diabetic aged wound healing.
Aug 17, 2022. Ship of Theseus is awarded an NHLBI Catalyze R33 grant for "Preclinical development of a nuclear-targeting biologic that safely increases stem cell expansion in vivo to accelerate recovery from neutropenia after chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant." Covers optimization of molecular formula.
Aug 6, 2021. Ship of Theseus is awarded an SBIR NHLBI Phase I for Stimulant for stem cell expansion in vivo to speed recovery of neutropenia secondary to chemotherapy and stem cell transplant. Covers in vitro and in vivo demonstration of HOXB4+ superiority for short and long-term HSCT reconstitution in vivo.
Sep 6, 2024 Ship of Theseus CEO Jeremy Elser conducts interview with European Wound Management Association (EWMA) Innovation Alliance (EIA) lead Edwin den Braber. https://lnkd.in/d8-PBi82
May 2, 2024 Ship of Theseus wins the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) Innovation Alliance (EIA) competition for its HOXA3m in chronic wounds. The EWMA is the largest wound conference in the world, drawing 4500 clinicians and industrialists. Ship of Theseus surpassed 10 other elite applicants, including some with veteran executive teams and clinical data. This award has de-risked and accelerated our program both by driving immediate outreach from potential investors/strategic partners and also by generating credibility and excitement among the physicians who will ultimately be required to prescribe our product.
Apr 4, 2024 After a rigorous RFP process, Ship of Theseus announces engagement of Charles River Laboratories (CRL) for GMP manufacturing of its lead candidate for chronic wounds. BusinessWire
Oct 4, 2023 Ship of Theseus and partner CRO Ichor Life Sciences present a poster at DFcon 2023 in Anaheim, CA. Potential strategic partners are engaged for further discussions.
Jun 19, 2023 Ship of Theseus publishes “HOXA3 Accelerates Wound Healing in Diabetic and Aged Non-Diabetic Mammals” in Nature Scientific Reports. Paper recapitulates literature findings of HOXA3 benefit in diabetic mice while also extending to non-diabetic mouse wounds.
Sep 1, 2023 Ship of Theseus is awarded an NHLBI Catalyze R33 grant, extending its work under "Preclinical development of a nuclear-targeting biologic that safely increases stem cell expansion in vivo to accelerate recovery from neutropenia after chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant." Covers in vivo demonstration of optimized molecular formula.
Jun 19, 2023 Ship of Theseus publishes “HOXA3 Accelerates Wound Healing in Diabetic and Aged Non-Diabetic Mammals” in Nature Scientific Reports. Paper recapitulates literature findings of HOXA3 benefit in diabetic mice while also extending to non-diabetic mouse wounds. www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36933-4
Sep 30, 2022. Ship of Theseus is awarded an SBIR NIA Phase I for "An inside out approach that reprograms wound tissue to accelerate chronic wound healing in aging populations." Covers in vitro and in vivo demonstration of HOXA3+ superiority in action on key cell types and non-diabetic aged wound healing.
Aug 17, 2022. Ship of Theseus is awarded an NHLBI Catalyze R33 grant for "Preclinical development of a nuclear-targeting biologic that safely increases stem cell expansion in vivo to accelerate recovery from neutropenia after chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant." Covers optimization of molecular formula.
Aug 6, 2021. Ship of Theseus is awarded an SBIR NHLBI Phase I for Stimulant for stem cell expansion in vivo to speed recovery of neutropenia secondary to chemotherapy and stem cell transplant. Covers in vitro and in vivo demonstration of HOXB4+ superiority for short and long-term HSCT reconstitution in vivo.
Therapeutic Pipeline
Life Science Research:
To encourage rapid clinical translation of HOX+, Theseus makes HOX+ cell penetrating proteins commercially available for research use.
Known capabilities include:
To encourage rapid clinical translation of HOX+, Theseus makes HOX+ cell penetrating proteins commercially available for research use.
Known capabilities include:
- HOXA3: Promotes macrophage M1->M2 polarization, endothelial+keratinocyte chemotaxis, and diabetic wound closure
- HOXA4: Promotes wound healing and expansion of MSCs
- HOXA5: Promotes differentiation and reduced replication in epithelial tumors
- HOXB4: Promotes expansion of LT-HSCs, ST-HSCs, and Common Myeloid Progenitors
- HOXB7: Promotes expansion of MSCs with reduced senescence and increased bFGF secretion
- HOXB8 - Promotes expansion of myeloid progenitors in HSCs
- HOXA10 - Promotes endometrial receptivity
- HOXC13 - Promotes hair follicle transition to anagen phase
- HOXA-D11: Promotes osteogenesis in MSCs