Date: Jun 15, 2015 Source: bizjournals (
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A SUNY Polytechnic Institute startup that is developing technology which could someday kill cells infected with HIV or Ebola, received a $225,000 grant from the National Institute of Health.
The company, HocusLocus in Albany, New York, develops technology that allows researchers to switch on or off the expression of a desired gene. That technology can kill targeted cells, including viruses.
A biotechnology startup developed at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, New York has received a $225,000 grant from the National Institute of Health.
CEO Ted Eveleth said that the grant will help HocusLocus take its transmitter or switch to production. The company's goal is to commercialize a drug that could be used to target latent viruses or cancer cells and then eliminate them.
At this point, Eveleth said research has been focused on targeting the Epstein-Barr virus. He said it could also be used for HIV, Ebola and various forms of cancer. In another year, Eveleth said they may be ready to commercialize a drug using this technology.
"Initially it would go into an IV," Eveleth said. "It could be as a replacement or alternative to chemotherapy."
HocusLocus' technology also can help in the development other cells, such as stem cells. It could be used as a trigger in the cell to kill the cells they don't want, or keep alive the cells they do want. HocusLocus currently has three employees and works with Dr. Scott Tenenbaum, a professor of nanobioscience, and his team of researchers at SUNY Poly.
The grant is coming from NIH's Small Business Technology Transfer program, which gives money to support the commercialization of inventions that could improve health. The company previously received money from the NIH and the Eastern New York Angels, an angel network for companies around Albany.
