XenoHelix announced on the 6th that it has been selected for the 2024 Bio & Medical Technology Development Project, an initiative organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF). Under this project, XenoHelix will lead the development of a multi-fusion diagnostic system for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), receiving up to KRW 6 billion in research and development funding over a maximum of five years.

 

MASLD is a serious condition that progresses from fatty liver and cirrhosis to liver cancer. Current diagnostics primarily rely on expensive medical imaging and serum analysis methods with limited accuracy. Consequently, there is an urgent global demand for a novel, cost-effective, and convenient molecular diagnostic method capable of predicting, confirming, and managing prognosis with high sensitivity and specificity.

 

To address this, XenoHelix is launching a joint initiative with Catholic University Catholic Medical Center, Yonsei University, and Sungkyunkwan University. The consortium aims to develop a high-sensitivity multi-fusion diagnostic system (SNP-MDx-NDx) capable of tracking the disease at every stage, from risk prediction to definitive diagnosis and prognostic tracking.

The consortium has divided its core research roles to maximize synergy:

• XenoHelix will advance its already-proven Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) technology.
• The Catholic University Catholic Medical Center will build a patient cohort across three affiliated hospitals (Seoul, Eunpyeong, and Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospitals) for clinical evaluation.
• Professor Hyuk-Wan Ko’s team (Department of Biochemistry, Yonsei University) will establish MASLD animal models to validate biomarkers and companion diagnostic capabilities.
• Professor Jin-Sung Park’s team (Department of Biomechatronics, Sungkyunkwan University) will develop MASLD nanosensors and structures, optimizing the multi-fusion system by cross-referencing it with clinical data.

 

As part of this national project, the consortium plans to commercialize the SNP-based biomarker diagnostic by 2026. By integrating miRNA diagnostics with nanosensor technology, they aim to develop a world-first innovative product boasting over 95% sensitivity and specificity.

Executive Commentary:

• Dr. Si-Hyun Bae, Director of Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital:
  "Early detection through regular screening is crucial for liver diseases. Validating this multi-fusion system through a multi-center patient cohort will enable early prediction, stage-by-stage diagnosis, and companion diagnostics. This will significantly improve treatment efficacy and prevent the progression of MASLD into fibrosis."
• Professor Hyuk-Wan Ko, Yonsei University:
  "This research bridges animal models and clinical fusion diagnostic technology to identify MASLD—an intractable chronic disease—at an early stage. Achieving our research goals ahead of schedule will generate a massive ripple effect across the industry."
• Professor Jin-Sung Park, Sungkyunkwan University:
  "I hope this research serves as a meaningful opportunity where advanced nano-biosensor technology delivers tangible medical benefits to actual MASLD patients."
• Sung-Wook Yang, CEO of XenoHelix:
  "We are thrilled to develop a patient-centric product alongside Korea’s top researchers across academia and medicine. Following our selection for the Parkinson's disease diagnosis project (KMDF), this milestone serves as objective validation of our company's cutting-edge technological capabilities."