From gut microbiota research to startup: the MicThera journey
Institutional Communication Service
From gut microbiota research to a potential new therapy for prostate cancer: Professor Andrea Alimonti, Full Professor at USI Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Director of the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), and Nicolò Pernigoni, co-founder and CEO of MicThera, discuss the origins of their biotech startup. In this interview, they retrace the journey from a scientific breakthrough in the IOR laboratories to the creation of a commercial venture.
Tracing the path from early discoveries in oncology resistance to the launch of a startup, they describe how microbiome research results were translated into a business project aimed at delivering new therapeutic options for prostate cancer."
Professor Alimonti, Nicolò Pernigoni, what were the initial observations that sparked this project?
"The project is the result of years of research into prostate cancer, specifically focusing on how the disease becomes resistant to treatment. In our laboratory, we demonstrated that gut microbiota can significantly influence the efficacy of cancer therapies. We identified a novel resistance mechanism mediated by specific intestinal bacteria. This led us to a groundbreaking hypothesis: if microbes contribute to resistance, and if certain microorganisms are linked to increased patient survival, then carefully selected and engineered microbial molecules could be used to overcome that resistance. This is the core concept behind MicThera: harnessing the microbiome as a source of new therapeutic solutions."
How is your team structured?
The project began within the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), an affiliate of Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), in a highly interdisciplinary environment. Our team combines scientific expertise with entrepreneurial skills and maintains strong ties with IOR."
Now that the project has transitioned into a startup, what are your primary objectives?
With the founding of MicThera, our goal is to move from scientific discovery to industrial and commercial validation. We have identified a highly promising therapeutic molecule that now requires further characterisation of its properties and effects, in line with international pharmaceutical development guidelines. Our ultimate aim is to test this molecule in human clinical trials, offering a new lifeline to patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer."
What steps were required to turn your idea into a patented project?
"It was a complex process involving close collaboration between our researchers, USI Transfer, and patent consultants. The key stages were: 1) Experimental validation and data collection to prove novelty and inventive step; 2) A prior art search to verify the discovery's originality; 3) Defining patent claims with IP experts; 4) Filing the patent application before any public disclosure; 5) Negotiating an IP agreement between IOR and MicThera. A crucial element was aligning our scientific activity with our IP strategy: publishing results too early could have jeopardised the patent. Moving to a startup model was the natural next step to add value to the discovery and push it toward concrete clinical application, with the support of the USI Startup Centre."
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Andrea Alimonti is a Full Professor at USI Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Director of the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR). His major scientific contributions include the discovery of a therapeutic approach based on inducing cellular senescence and the anti-tumour immune response; the identification of myeloid-derived suppressor cells; and the discovery of a new resistance mechanism in prostate cancer involving the gut microbiota. Nicolò Pernigoni holds a PhD from USI Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and an Executive MBA from USI; he is currently the co-founder and CEO of MicThera. Both Professor Alimonti and Nicolò Pernigoni are part of the research team behind MicThera, which is supported by the USI Startup Centre.
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