Aura BioSciences develops a novel technology based on NanoSphere Particles (“NSPs”), consisting of recombinant proteins, that enables the selective targeting of tumor metastases while sparing normal epithelium.

Aura’s technology is based on a novel and highly-selective Universal Tumor Targeting (“UTT”) phenomenon recently discovered at the National Cancer Institute (NCI.) The recombinant proteins are produced via well-known methods similar to vaccine manufacture, and self-assembled into empty 72-sided polygons of 60nm diameter.

NSPs have key advantages in this area: 1) Unlike other oncolytic approaches, since only the proteins that comprise the outer shell (capsid) of the wild-type virus (from which they are derived) are employed, no risk of host-DNA integration or viral replication exists. 2) Unlike “synthetic nanoparticle” approaches, NSPs possess active tropism beyond the passive “EPR” effect, and no additional targeting molecules are necessary to achieve their cancer metastases selectivity.

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