30.04.2024

Flackerndes Licht zur Behandlung von neurologischen Erkrankungen

ISTA scientists secure venture capital for new medtech company Syntropic Medical When the Sieger group succeeded in rejuvenating the brains of mice in 2021, they already suspected that their discovery had potential for treating mental disorders. Through the technology transfer program xista innovation, they founded a medtech company called Syntropic Medical, which is dedicated to the non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical treatment of neurological diseases. This spring, they secured seven-figure financing from xista science ventures and Austria Wirtschaftsservice (AWS).

Syntropic Medical GmbH

Syntropic's glasses-like neurostimulation device is based on an astonishing discovery: flickering light can help treat neurological disorders. Since the method can be used on living organisms without surgery and does not require medication, lead researchers Alessandro Venturino and Sandra Siegert from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) immediately recognized its high therapeutic potential. Together with CEO Mark Caffrey and CTO Jack O'Keeffe, they founded the start-up Syntropic Medical through the institute's xista innovation program. Prototypes are currently being tested. The finished product is intended to be a treatment option that doctors can offer their patients with mental disorders.

Syntropic Medical GmbH

Das Team hinter Syntropic Medical: Alessandro Venturino, Jack O’Keeffe, Sandra Siegert, und Mark Caffrey

The secret of Syntropic Medical

CEO Mark Caffrey: "Approximately 70% of patients taking pharmaceutical antidepressants do not achieve remission, and up to 25% discontinue treatment due to severe side effects. Unfortunately, these figures are not good enough. It is therefore crucial that we begin to develop completely new ways of treating these disorders. That is why the discoveries made by Dr. Venturino and Prof. Siegert are so exciting, as they open up the potential for a completely new treatment method that is free of side effects and easy for patients to use."

Syntropic Medical is a medical technology company based in Austria that develops new technologies to improve the brain's neuroplasticity. This means that the device enables the brain to form new connections more flexibly by softening the stabilizing structures of the brain—the perineuronal nets. As a result, the brain temporarily returns to a state otherwise only seen in early stages of development, such as childhood. By restoring plasticity, it may be easier to modify harmful structures. This non-invasive therapy has the potential to treat severe depressive disorders and other neuropsychiatric conditions. It improves cognition and offers new possibilities for patients who do not respond to conventional therapies.

Syntropic Medical GmbH