Introduction To Innovative Gene Therapy Using Anelloviruses

Biotech start-up Ring Therapeutics, founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2017, hopes to transform gene therapy by using a new class of vector — anelloviruses – a diverse family of harmless viruses present in the human body. Current gene therapies mostly use an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to carry genetic material into a cell – often a one-and-done strategy with effects that have the potential to diminish over time. AAV is non-integrating (meaning it does not integrate into the cells’ DNA) so every time the host cell divides, the genetic material delivered as the therapy is reduced by half – it also can trigger a mild immune response. With anellovirus-based therapy, however, a patient may receive additional doses without triggering an immune response.