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Axial partners with great founders and inventors. We invest in early-stage life sciences companies such as Appia Bio, Seranova Bio, Delix Therapeutics, Simcha Therapeutics, among others often when they are no more than an idea. We are fanatical about helping the rare inventor who is compelled to build their own enduring business. If you or someone you know has a great idea or company in life sciences, Axial would be excited to get to know you and possibly invest in your vision and company . We are excited to be in business with you - email us at info@axialvc.com
Glycans are sugar molecules that cloak the surface of cells and many proteins, lipids, RNA, and more. Glycobiology emerged as a fusion with biochemistry & carbohydrate chemistry. Over the last ~3 decades, the role of glycans have been found in every facet of cell biology (metabolism to immunity), are essential for the activity of many approved monoclonal antibodies, and are connected to diseases ranging from diabetes & cancer to neurodegeneration.
In eukaryotes, most proteins are post-translationally modified (PTM). Most of these PTMs are glycans, which come in two major types: (1) N-linked where the glycan is linked to an asparagine and (2) O-link, attached to a serine or threonine. Given that glycosylation is not coded by a template and doesn’t have a linear structure, glycans break some of the central dogma rules. Better and better analytical & enzymatic tools have been able to enumerate glycan structure and triangulate their function. It’s glycotime. These are some of the best people in glycobiology. Email info@axialvc.com if there are others to add to the group:
Carolyn Bertozzi - pioneered bioorthogonal chemistry and using this toolkit to decode glycans in cancer, the mucinome, glycoproteomics & a lot more
Stacy Malaker - did her postdoctoral work in the Bertozzi lab. The Malaker lab develops methods using mass spectrometry to analyze mucin-domain glycoproteins, a class of densely O-glycosylated extracellular proteins. Mucins are important to a wide-range of diseases from cancer, cystic fibrosis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Ryan Flynn - also did his postdoctoral work in the Bertozzi lab. Discovered glycoRNAs and now working on expanding this field (detection & function) in his own lab. Might become Phil Sharp 2.0.
Jamey Marth - studying the function and fate of discrete glycoproteins that contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease, colitis, diabetes, and sepsis
Mia Huang - using chemical biology to study the interactions between glycans and proteins. Then exploring their roles in stem cell differentiation, musculoskeletal research, and cancer.
Jim Paulson - pioneering the interplay between glycans and the immune system. At least 3 families of carbohydrate binding proteins are known to mediate cellular communication among leukocytes. The siglec family now has thirteen members which are expressed on the surface of various white blood cells (i.e. B-cells, NK- cells, eosinophils, monocytes), and all recognize sialic acid (NeuAc) containing carbohydrate ligands. The best understood for its function is CD22 (siglec-2), which is known to be a negative regulator of B cell receptor signaling.
Linda Hsieh-Wilson - studying glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), a family of sulfated oligosaccharides involved in brain development, cancer, inflammation and spinal cord injury. Combining organic synthesis and neurobiology to explore the role of chondroitin and heparan sulfate, the most common GAGs, in the brain.
Jeff Gildersleeve - the role of cancer and glycans. Developed a glycan microarray that allows high-throughput analysis of antibody binding properties and rapid profiling of glycan-binding antibody populations in serum.
Pascal Gagneux - studying the role of glycans in reproduction and infection. With the premise that “the diversity and rapid evolution of glycans are likely outcomes of synergistic and antagonistic interactions during reproduction and infection.”
Peng Wu - inventing chemoenzymatic methods for the detection and modification of cell-surface glycans