Spin out raises investment to tackle genetic disease

Z Factor, a spinout from the University of Cambridge has raised £7m in series A investment to assist in discovering drugs to treat liver and lung disease.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a significant factor in these illnesses, caused by a defect in the gene encoding A1AT. The most common mutation responsible for AATD is called the Z mutation, which disrupts the normal folding of the protein.

Professor Jim Huntington, Z Factor founder, said: “Individuals with two defective copies of the gene, making up around 1 in 2000 of the Western population, typically develop emphysema starting in their 30s.They are also at an increased risk of developing liver diseases such as cirrhosis and cancer.  Around two per cent of people have one defective copy of this gene, and are at 5-fold increased risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as they age.”

Professor Huntington and his team of researchers obtained the crystallographic structure of the Z mutation of A1AT which has allowed drugs to be designed that could correct folding and prevent associated diseases development. Currently, the spinout is now working to select the best molecules for use as a drug in human trials.

David Grainger, executive chairman at Z Factor, said: “We are delighted to work once again with Cambridge Enterprise to ensure this exciting basic science is rapidly and efficiently translated into new medicines for a surprisingly common and debilitating cause of liver and lung disease.”