Cisterna Biologics

Founded in 2022 in San Diego, California, Cisterna Biologics is a technology company. We aim to solve the main challenges currently facing the biotech industry to develop mRNA-based therapeutics – quality, quantity, and cost. As mRNA technology matures, it becomes imperative that these issues are solved so we can fully explore mRNA's endless possibilities as a therapeutic. For therapeutic applications, the quality of the mRNA needs to be extremely high compared to mRNA used for vaccines. Cisterna uses proprietary technologies to either remove a contaminant at its source or replace the source itself. For example, to remove double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), we use ribozymes - molecular scissors - to precisely cut the mRNA at its 3’ end. This assures not only 3’ homogeneity, but also eliminates dsRNA, which are primarily produced due to self-templated additions at the 3’ end. Utilizing a PCR-like system to amplify the DNA template in large quantities eliminates the requirement for plasmid enrichment in bacteria, the prime source of endotoxin contamination. These are just a few examples of Cisterna’s powerful technologies being used to achieve our goal of 10x higher quality mRNA for therapeutic application. Our overarching goal is to extend our platform technologies to express and purify mRNA directly from a eukaryotic host such as yeast. This would lead to a significant reduction in cost of mRNA manufacturing and potentially an even greater improvement in quality. There is accumulating evidence that naturally occurring mRNAs, with all the native folded structures and endogenous modifications, are better at expressing proteins without triggering innate immune responses compared to synthesized mRNAs - creating a more effective and accessible treatment for patients worldwide.