[Korea University Newspaper] Konkuk University and Chosun University Holdings Subsidiaries Join Forces on Exosome Therapeutics R&D

From left: Dr. Ji-hye Han and CEO Tae-hyung Kim of ExoCalibur; CEO Ssang-Goo Cho and researcher Kyung Min Lim of StemExOne.
Photo courtesy of Ssang-Goo Cho

StemExOne and ExoCalibur Sign MOU for Joint Collaboration

“A New Opportunity to Develop Innovative Technologies Addressing Exosome Mass Production and Heterogeneity”

[Korea University Newspaper, Reporter Jang Hye-seung] StemExOne, a subsidiary of Konkuk University Holdings led by CEO Ssang-Goo Cho, and ExoCalibur, a subsidiary of Chosun University Holdings led by CEO Tae-hyung Kim, signed a memorandum of understanding on the 8th to conduct joint research on the development of exosome therapeutics.

Exosomes are attracting growing attention as a promising alternative capable of overcoming several limitations of conventional cell therapies, including concerns related to side effects and safety. Under the agreement, StemExOne and ExoCalibur plan to share their respective expertise and know-how in exosome research and accelerate the development of exosome-based therapeutics.

Founded in 2020, StemExOne is carrying out multiple government-funded R&D projects focused on stem cell-derived exosome therapeutics, including projects supported by the Korea Regenerative Medicine Fund (KFRM) and TIPS. ExoCalibur, also founded in 2020, holds patents related to technologies for loading therapeutic cargo into exosomes.

Ssang-Goo Cho, CEO of StemExOne, said, “Many companies are working toward the clinical development of exosome therapeutics, but innovative technologies are still needed to address the challenges of large-scale exosome production and heterogeneity. Through this MOU, we aim to accelerate the development of highly advanced exosome therapeutics.”

Tae-hyung Kim, CEO of ExoCalibur, said, “We believe exosomes have the potential to serve as highly effective therapeutic delivery vehicles of the future. Through joint research, we expect to shorten exosome production times and develop technologies capable of loading large amounts of proteins, nucleic acids, and drugs into exosomes, ultimately enabling the large-scale production of highly homogeneous exosomes.”

The technologies resulting from the joint research were published in the internationally renowned Journal of Extracellular Vesicles (Impact Factor: 17.337), further demonstrating the value and significance of the research.

Source: Korea University Newspaper (UNN)