KEY APPLICATION AREA

Gene & Cell Therapies

Cell and gene therapies are emerging next-generation treatment approaches that hold transformative potential for fighting many currently incurable diseases. Gene therapy involves restoring or altering gene expression through the delivery of DNA or RNA vectors to a patient. Gene therapies can be used to restore normal function in diseased tissue, or to edit the genome to permanently correct genetic disorders. Cell therapy refers to the deployment of living cells as vectors for fighting disease by leveraging their ability to sense, move, and biologically respond. Cell therapy applications include the deployment of engineered, insulin-secreting cells to treat diabetes, or the programming of a patient’s own immune cells to attack and destroy tumors.

Research in the Rice Bioengineering department uses a variety of foundational research approaches including biomaterials engineering, imaging, and synthetic biology to engineer cell and gene therapies with improved their production, delivery, and overall functional efficacy.