Research Fundings from Governments Worldwide Have Played an Instrumental Role In Driving The Growth Of The Single Cell Sequencing Market

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Single CellSequencing is a next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique primarily used to analyze the variations in protein and genetic information between cells to extract genetic data on microorganisms, which are otherwise challenging to cultivate at the individual cell level and to comprehend their particular roles in the micro-environment better. Research studies in the field of single cell sequencing focus on a wide array of applications right from immunotherapy, neurobiology, and cancer treatment to, in the latest feat, COVID-19.

A group of MIT researchers recently found a way to recover information through single cell sequencing. The team used a modified version of the Seq-Well technique, which gave them the capacity to extract ten times more information from each cell in a given sample. The increased information extraction resulting from the novel approach would help researchers gain more knowledge about the gene expression in each cell and help them find subtle yet critical variations between healthy cells and dysfunctional cells.

The leading companies in the industry include Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., 10x Genomics Inc., Becton, Dickinson & Company, Illumina, Bio-Rad, Fludigim, BGI, F Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., Qiagen, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies. 10x Genomics recently announced the acquisition of the Boston-based ReadCoor, Inc.. The company’s second in situ sequencing takeover was valued at USD 350 million in cash and stock consideration. It had previously announced the acquisition of Cartana, the  Stockholm-based developer of in situ RNA analysis technology, in August. 

In situ methods allow researchers to measure a colossal number of molecules directly through the precise location of the molecule at sub-cellular resolution. The newly-acquired capabilities might complement 10x Genomics Chromium Single Cell and Visium Spatial platforms and help the company establish the foundation for its third tech platform, widening its consumer base and facilitating the new translational as well as clinical applications.

The most relevant development recently pertains to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The changes in the SARS-CoV-2 virus genome in the transmission of the infection have remained unclear. A team of University of Chicago researchers has used a new approach, a technique named FD-seq, which is a high-throughput single cellsequencing approach to sequence single cells applicable for paraformaldehyde (PFA) treatment. 

The team examined the immune response of human lung cells infected by coronavirus OC43, a virus belonging to the same family as SARS-CoV-2, which causes the common cold, which has been used successfully in drug discovery to prevent the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Mining this ‘biological bitcoin’ could have inestimable benefits, and the worth of genetic information will continue to be a major driver for the growth of the single cell sequencing market.  However, the costs of it might also be similarly prohibitive for most consumers, impeding its accessibility and, subsequently, its growth.

Increasing Interest in Pharmaceutical Applications of Gene Editing is Boosting the Growth of the Gene Editing Market

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The emergence of versatile gene editing technologies in recent years has enabled researchers to economically and seamlessly introduce sequence-specific modifications into genomes of a wide range of organisms and cell types. Some of the prevalent core technologies in the field are transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), homing endonucleases or meganucleases, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9), and zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs).

In the past few years, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing has been in focus for the precision of the gene edits carried out in the procedure and some extremely charged patent disputes. The field is now progressing swiftly, with several start-ups aiming to leverage the CRISPR ‘molecular scissors’ commercially. Even though CRISPR’s application scope is fairly extensive, it is not surprising that most companies are exploring its pharmaceutical applications, particularly pertaining to immunology, cancer, and rare diseases. The technology promises cures, either by editing cells in the body or by engineering cells isolated from the body before restoring them. Earlier this year, Crispr Therapeutics and Vertex announced a joint effort to work on CTX001, an investigational ex vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing procedure for patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and Transfusion-Dependent Beta-Thalassemia (TDT). The two organizations recently announced that the gene-edited therapy was granted the Priority Medicines (PRIME) designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

This increasing interest in pharmaceutical applications of gene editing is boosting the growth of the market; however, recent developments in the sector have also raised some concerns. Back in 2015, researchers conducted the first experiment to modify human embryos, which kickstarted further investigation into human genome editing. A recent series of experiments published on bioRxiv has raised some safety concerns about DNA changes and on-target complexities following CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. The field demands much more investigation before it can be scaled. Since CRISPR is a prominent contributor to the overall revenue of the gene editing industry, unfavorable research findings might hinder the growth of the gene editing market for a few years. 

Other leading companies operating in the market include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Lonza, GenScript, Vigene Biosciences, Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Genecopoeia, Calyxt, Editas Medicine, EpiGenie, and Editas Medicine. Intellia Therapeutics is also a company working on CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to develop genome editing treatments to cure genetic diseases. U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has just given the green light to a Phase 1 clinical trial for Intellia’s NTLA-2001 gene therapy for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (hATTR-PN). With companies investing and exploring further into the applications of gene editing, the market is expected to exhibit significant research-backed growth in the coming years.