For collaborators

Whether you are a company, an investor, an entrepreneur, or a potential strategic partner, we have a way for you to get involved! Duke-NUS prioritises impact through private sector collaborations. More than 50% of our faculty are actively commercialising their research or collaborating with industry partners. If you’re interested to learn more, please contact us at oie@duke-nus.edu.sg.

Collaborate with our researchers

Whether you represent a research institution, biotech company, healthcare organization, or any entity passionate about advancing medical research, we invite you to explore collaboration opportunities with Duke-NUS. Our collaborative approach includes:

Research Collaborations

Work with our researchers on cutting-edge projects that address critical healthcare challenges.

Industry Partnerships

Collaborate with us to bring innovative healthcare solutions to the market.

Education Initiatives

Join forces with us to shape the future of medical education and training.

Success stories

Inhibition of IL 11 for treatment of Fibrosis

Problem and Solution: Excessive fibrosis, a critical part of wound healing, contributes to various diseases such as systemic sclerosis, cardiomyopathies, liver cirrhosis, and pulmonary fibrosis. Current therapeutic approaches are inadequate. The inventors discovered that inhibiting IL-11, a key factor in fibrosis, can prevent and treat fibrosis more effectively than targeting TGFB1, which has severe side effects.

Potential Clinical Applications: Treatment of fibrosis in the lung, liver, heart, and kidneys.

Brief Description: Fibrosis causes millions of deaths, with limited treatment options. The inventors found that IL-11 is crucial in fibrosis development. Inhibiting IL-11 can prevent fibrosis, making it a prime drug target. Anti-IL-11 therapies could revolutionize treatment for organ fibrosis.

Patent Status: Eight patent families, jointly owned by SHS/NUS and some with Enleofen, cover IL-11's role in fibrosis and related diseases, along with developed antibodies for treatment.

Licensing Status: The patent was exclusively licensed to Enleofen and later acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim.

Artificial Antigen-Presenting Cells (aAPCs)

Problem and Solution: Generating antigen-specific T-cells in sufficient quantities for cell-based cancer therapies is challenging, typically requiring donor-derived dendritic or feeder cells. This invention by DNUS offers aAPCs to generate or expand antigen-specific T-cells without relying on these limited resources.

Potential Clinical Applications: Reagents for T-cell-based immunotherapy.

Brief Description: The primary response to antigens requires activation of naive antigen-specific T-cells, a process usually facilitated by dendritic cells, which are difficult to generate in vitro. DNUS's aAPCs, engineered with co-stimulatory ligands and cancer antigens, can activate and expand antigen-specific T-cells. The team, led by David Epstein and Raymond Lee, created aAPCs presenting the MARK3 gastric cancer antigen. These aAPCs successfully expanded MARK3-specific CD8 T-cells and can identify reactive T-cells for potential therapeutic use.

Patent Status: The patent is in the National phase and being prosecuted by PairXBio in several countries.

Licensing Status: Exclusively licensed to PairXBio.

Why Collaborate with Duke-NUS?

Cutting-Edge Research: At Duke-NUS, we are at the forefront of medical research. Our interdisciplinary approach allows us to tackle complex medical challenges, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries across our 5-signature research programmes.
World-Class Expertise: Collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the medical field. Our faculty and researchers are globally recognised for their contributions to healthcare and life sciences.
Access to Resources: We provide state-of-the-art facilities, extensive research resources, and robust funding opportunities to support your research endeavours.
Global Reach: Benefit from our vast network of partners, collaborators, and alumni, extending your research's reach and impact.
Impactful Partnerships: We believe in turning research into real-world solutions. Partnering with Duke-NUS means translating ideas into practical applications and solutions that make a difference.

If you are a company seeking to collaborate with Duke-NUS, contact us at oie@duke-nus.edu.sg.