Scientific discoveries—the seeds of tomorrow’s advances—happen every day at the Zucker Institute. The following companies demonstrate how the Zucker Institute, its resources, and researchers and inventors have made dramatic advances in life science technology. Innovation champions
Founded and led by Zucker Institute chief technology officer and MUSC professor Nate Dolloff, Leukogene is harnessing the ability of the immune system to develop an effective cancer vaccine. The technology, based on the immune system’s Major Histocompatibility
Complex II (MHC II) to transport specifically targeted antigens to develop immune cell attacks on cancer cells, raises the promise of new treatments for pancreatic cancer, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and other hard-to- treat tumors.
Leukogene started at the MUSC laboratory of Nate Dolloff, and—with the help of the Zucker Institute—raised $3M in private funding and federal and state grants and is a National Cancer Institute and South Carolina Research Authority portfolio company with continuous SBIR/ STTR grant funding since 2013.
“BabyStrong feeding system offers a groundbreaking new approach to assist pre-term and term infants with brain injury in overcoming difficulties in learning to feed. We hope to get infants with feeding delays home faster without
“Leukogene is leading a new chapter in cancer immunotherapy by training the body’s immune system to attack tumors using innovative cancer vaccines. We are grateful to the Zucker Institute for their support and helping us make this happen.” — Dr. Nate Dolloff, Leukogene Therapeutics, Inc. founder
invasive gastrostomy tubes for feeding.” — Dr. Dorothea Jenkins, BabyStrong device inventor
BabyStrong is a Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) technology designed to assist infants with feeding difficulties. TaVNS stimulates the vagus nerve through the skin on the patient’s ear and is paired with oral feedings to enhance motor learning and improve feeding. BabyStrong helps infants
achieve full oral feeds, avoiding the need for a gastrostomy tube placement. This approach supports the infants’ health and development and allows families to go home sooner. The Zucker Institute team worked closely with the clinical team and inventors to help improve the BabyStrong system
so that it was easy to use. While designing the current version, the Zucker Institute staff and BabyStrong team invented a novel electrode. In addition, Zucker Institute facilitated internal and external funding through SCRA grants as well as the NIH Phase II application.
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FY2024 ANNUAL REPORT
FROM IDEA TO MARKETPLACE
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