For the development of new therapies or preventive strategies, it is mandatory to have membrane proteins (GPCR, ion channels, viral envelope proteins …) in the purest form but still in native conformation and integrated into a membrane.

Unlike soluble proteins that are fairly easy to produce in their native conformation, this is very difficult for integral membrane proteins. They rely on mutually incompatible environments, ie “aqueous-lipid-aqueous”. The influence of membrane phospholipids on membrane proteins conformation is also particularly significant. In the absence of such specific environments, the membrane proteins do not fold properly and therefore are not functional.

In addition, most membrane proteins must acquire specific post-translational modifications for correct folding and several are active as homo- or hetero-oligomers. These highly complex and fragile proteins are altered when extracted according to current methods.

The membrane proteins of Ciloa (GPCR, ion channels, viral envelope proteins…) are naturally expressed in the cells and sorted in exosome membranes with their fully native conformation. The membrane proteins on the exosomes are embedded in a natural cell-derived membrane and have a topology that is perfectly identical to membrane proteins exposed on the cell surface.

Ciloa’s technology makes possible to have a cell producing a perfect antigen for an optimal immune response. We act directly on the cellular machinery to naturally produce membrane proteins on exosomes. Perfectly native and without any alteration, membrane proteins presented by Ciloa exosomes are the perfect tool for triggering specific immune responses. These natural immunogens permit to create therapeutic antibodies of optimal quality.