At the cellular level, fat cells enlarge when we gain weight and they shrink when we lose weight. This mode of weight gain and loss is how we gain or lose weight in essentially all contexts, including diet, exercise, drug therapy, and metabolic and bariatric surgery. Fat cell enlargement is a natural part of the maturation process and contributes to disease when fat cells become too big.
In metabolic diseases, fat cells become enlarged and dysfunctional, disrupting normal metabolic processes and hormone levels.
Fat dysfunction and altered endocrinology contributes to insulin resistance, inflammation, and fibrosis leading to chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, MASH, and more.
MelliCell’s proprietary M3 technology enables the controlled growth of fat cells to different physiological states including obesity, providing unprecedented access to mature fat cells at scale for the development of fat cell-targeted therapies. Our approaches enabled by M3 technology include the following:
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MelliCell Inc., a biotech company pioneering adipocyte therapies for chronic disease, with the support of Mass General Brigham, one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals, is proud to announce a prestigious award from the National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH/NIDDK) SEED Fund. This grant, part of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, provides access to $1.2 billion in funding to support entrepreneurial and product development efforts.
“We are incredibly honored to receive this award from the NIH/NIDDK SEED Fund,” said Dr. Ben Pope, inventor of MelliCell’s core technology and a principal investigator on the work along with Dr. Luminita Pojoga, Associate Physiologist, Mass General Brigham, and Dr. Madhumita Basu, Principal Scientist at MelliCell. “This funding will help advance our work to unlock the potential of fat cells both as a therapeutic target and a source of novel biologic drugs.”
MelliCell’s foundational technology generates mature human fat tissue at scale, opening access to the tissue’s untapped potential as a target for chronic disease, a source of therapeutic adipokines, and a substrate for surgery and tissue engineering applications. This grant will support the company’s mission by specifically delivering innovative solutions that improve the health and well-being of individuals living with diabetes and obesity.
“We are excited to work with our colleagues to better understand heritable ways that adipocytes promote disease in different people,” states Dr. Pojoga. “I see near-term opportunities for patients relative to existing therapies, including a critical need to spare lean mass and improve tolerability for sustained weight loss with novel mechanisms of action.”
With the award, MelliCell and Mass General Brigham will test specific genetic mutations that change critical functional characteristics of fat cells and are associated with diabetes and obesity in humans. “This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, as well as our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in biotech,” emphasizes Dr. Basu. “We are excited to continue our journey towards making a meaningful impact in the lives of those living with chronic disease.”
The NIH/NIDDK SEED Fund is designed to help innovative small businesses turn groundbreaking discoveries into tangible health solutions. With this significant financial support, MelliCell Inc. is poised to accelerate its research and development initiatives aimed at addressing the growing global health challenges of chronic diseases including diabetes and obesity.
About MelliCell Inc.
MelliCell Inc. is pioneering curative therapeutics for chronic disease using groundbreaking adipose engineering technologies that generate mature human fat cells in vitro. Our mission is to use this technology to discover and develop adipocyte therapies to improve the health and lives of people worldwide.
For more information, please visit www.mellicell.com or contact Sunny Oworah at sunny@mellicell.com
MelliCell Inc., a biotech company pioneering adipocyte therapies for chronic disease, with the support of Mass General Brigham, one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals, is proud to announce a prestigious award from the National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH/NIDDK) SEED Fund. This grant, part of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, provides access to $1.2 billion in funding to support entrepreneurial and product development efforts.
“We are incredibly honored to receive this award from the NIH/NIDDK SEED Fund,” said Dr. Ben Pope, inventor of MelliCell’s core technology and a principal investigator on the work along with Dr. Luminita Pojoga, Associate Physiologist, Mass General Brigham, and Dr. Madhumita Basu, Principal Scientist at MelliCell. “This funding will help advance our work to unlock the potential of fat cells both as a therapeutic target and a source of novel biologic drugs.”
MelliCell’s foundational technology generates mature human fat tissue at scale, opening access to the tissue’s untapped potential as a target for chronic disease, a source of therapeutic adipokines, and a substrate for surgery and tissue engineering applications. This grant will support the company’s mission by specifically delivering innovative solutions that improve the health and well-being of individuals living with diabetes and obesity.
“We are excited to work with our colleagues to better understand heritable ways that adipocytes promote disease in different people,” states Dr. Pojoga. “I see near-term opportunities for patients relative to existing therapies, including a critical need to spare lean mass and improve tolerability for sustained weight loss with novel mechanisms of action.”
With the award, MelliCell and Mass General Brigham will test specific genetic mutations that change critical functional characteristics of fat cells and are associated with diabetes and obesity in humans. “This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, as well as our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in biotech,” emphasizes Dr. Basu. “We are excited to continue our journey towards making a meaningful impact in the lives of those living with chronic disease.”
The NIH/NIDDK SEED Fund is designed to help innovative small businesses turn groundbreaking discoveries into tangible health solutions. With this significant financial support, MelliCell Inc. is poised to accelerate its research and development initiatives aimed at addressing the growing global health challenges of chronic diseases including diabetes and obesity.
About MelliCell Inc.
MelliCell Inc. is pioneering curative therapeutics for chronic disease using groundbreaking adipose engineering technologies that generate mature human fat cells in vitro. Our mission is to use this technology to discover and develop adipocyte therapies to improve the health and lives of people worldwide.
For more information, please visit www.mellicell.com or contact Sunny Oworah at sunny@mellicell.com
