An innovation journey: How MUSC helped bring GlycoPath to life

Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of innovation, and it takes a culture of ingenuity coupled with the right resources to turn an early idea into something potentially transformative. 

The journey of GlycoPath Inc. is proof of this. It started with a novel scientific discovery by MUSC researchers – Anand Mehta, Ph.D., Peggi Angel, Ph.D., and Richard Drake, Ph.D. – and blossomed into a start-up company that is now poised to elevate the biomarker identification process using the patent pending GlycoTyper. 

Biomarkers, which are often sugars attached to proteins, can help predict the development or presence of a disease, with many conditions like cancer using biomarker testing for diagnostic and treatment purposes. The GlycoTyper builds upon existing biomarker testing capabilities by enabling the detection of biomarkers on thousands of different proteins at once as opposed to just a few at a time. With GlycoPath Inc.’s recent acquisition by The Bruker Corporation, this technology is one step closer to delivering a more efficient biomarker platform that can be applied to drug development and clinical diagnostics and be used in scientific research targeted at solving real-world clinical problems.

Turning an idea into reality was no simple feat. MUSC’s innvotion ecosystem and institutional support have been integral to driving this technology forward. One critical aspect of GlycoPath Inc.’s success has been the guidance of the Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization, which independently evaluates and manages the intellectual assets owned and generated by MUSC, including assisting with technology licensing, research collaborations and development of start-up ventures.

 

“Our role is to aid researchers, clinicians and any other MUSC inventors in transforming their ideas into real-life businesses, products and services. GlycoPath’s creation and ability to further advance the GlycoTyper technology is a great success not just for the researchers but for MUSC and the Zucker Institute,” said Todd Headley, CEO, Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization, MUSC. “With the acquisition by Bruker, we look forward to seeing the impact of this technology as it continues to grow.”

With the support of the Zucker Institute, The Bruker Corporation first became an investor in GlycoPath Inc. in 2021, helping the researchers further develop, validate and work toward commercializing the technology.

Once an early concept in a lab, the GlycoTyper technology has since been adapted into new tools, such as the GlycoFibroTyper, which detects specially modified antibodies in patient blood samples and uses these measurements as predictors for liver fibrosis. As a non-invasive approach to assess fibrosis, the GlycoFibroTyper responds to a need in the clinical care of patients with liver disease in which the current gold standard for detection is an invasive liver biopsy.

“GlycoPath is a perfect example of what should happen in academic medicine. The idea for this technology came from the collaboration between three investigators and a group of scientists, and through the support of MUSC, we were able to grow it into something with the potential to benefit patients and the healthcare space more broadly,” Mehta said.

With the acquisition complete, The Bruker Corporation will continue to drive the GlycoTyper technology forward in Blue Sky Labs. A new addition to MUSC’s offerings for entrepreneurs, Blue Sky Labs serves as a place for scientists and other experts to hone their creations, test new concepts and share space and ideas with fellow innovators. 

“When GlycoPath was first created, one of our biggest challenges was finding lab space for our company. Blue Sky Labs will make it easier for future academics and innovators to bring their ideas to life,” said Mehta. “While great things start in academia, the best things leave academia to have a real-world impact, and MUSC provides invaluable resources and support to make that happen.”