Created in 2013, Phenocell is based in Grasse (06) in a Business Hotel dedicated to Biotechnologies, GrasseBiotech.
Phenocell is a company specializing in the design of in vitro assays for the research and discovery of drug candidates using iPSC-derived somatic cells. (stem cells induced to pluripotency). This technology, whose inventor received the Nobel Prize[1] allows the production of human body cells in unlimited numbers, after transformation of somatic cells into stem cells which are capable of reproducing infinitely and transforming into specialized cells, depending on the culture conditions.
Phenocell s’est spécialisée sur la peau et les pathologies rétiniennes, qui sont aujourd’hui ses deux principaux domaines d’activité et a développé un panel d’outils de R&D innovants pour offrir des approches analytiques uniques aux industriels de la pharmacie et de la dermo-cosmétique.
The company has specific expertise in the production of:
- human skin cells: melanocytes, sebocytes, fibroblasts, sensory neurons
- human retinal cells: retinal pigment epithelium, photoreceptors
Phenocell was winner of the innovation competition i-Nov 2022 (France 2030) with the KEESIGHT project for the discovery of drugs against the dry form of AMD (age-related macular degeneration). To date, there is no treatment for the dry form of this degenerative retinal disease which represents 90% of AMD cases and affects 200 million people worldwide. The project aims to identify neuroprotective molecules through a screening platform based on patient iPSC cells to accelerate the search for effective drugs.
The company has 6 employees.
[1] Japanese Shinya Yamanaka received the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine in 2012