Technology
MipSalus has invented a platform technology that can be used to develop multiple medicinal products. The platform technology is based on a well-established technology, Molecular Imprinted Polymers.
Molecular Imprinted Polymers, or MIPs, is a technology that produces antibody-like binding sites in a synthetic polymer. Due to the binding sites, MIP particles can be used to bind molecules like amino acids to which some people are intolerant and then transport them out of the body.
The antibody-like binding sites are the result of a process in which template molecules are added to a polymer matrix which then builds around the molecules. These are identical to the molecules which as they accumulate in the body cause a condition requiring treatment.
In the first step of the production process, a solution of a specific template molecule and selected functional monomers is produced, and the monomers organize around the template molecule. Subsequently, polymerization is initiated, meaning that the monomers and template molecules are forced together to form a structure of molecules: a polymer.
In the next part of the process, the polymer is mechanically down-sized into small MIPs particles and washed in order to remove the template molecules. This leaves cavities in the MIPs particles which are complementary to the physical and chemical characteristics of the template molecule. These cavities function as binding sites and due to their high specificity, the MIPs particles are only capable of interacting with the template molecule, while other molecules closely related in structure are left untouched.
The molecular imprinting technique can be traced as far back as the 1930s, but past attempts to use the technology for medical purposes have failed because of problems related to the purification process: When the polymer is down-sized, the result is a collection of MIPs particles with an uneven distribution of binding sites. Only a few of them have a high binding affinity, while the majority of the particles have no or very low binding affinity. Thus, without further purification most of the MIPs produced cannot be used for treatment as they lack the capability to bind the relevant template molecules.
Based on proprietary technology covered by various patent families comprising concept, production, and usage, MipSalus has made significant improvements to the general MIPs technology. These improvements expand the potential of the technology significantly and enable its use in various medical applications. Central to MipSalus’ technology is a new method used to sort MIPs particles according to their ability to bind the template molecule.
Using chromatography – a well-established industry technique used to separate components in a mixture – we are able to sort out and select the MIPs particles with high binding specificity and capacity. This is crucial in order to produce a MIPs-based drug with high specificity, reduce dosing level and side effects, and obtain the product homogeneity needed to meet regulatory authorities’ requirements.