Gene Therapy Mechanism of Action (MOA) Illustration
Industry: Biotechnology / Metabolic Therapeutics
Client Type: Biotech company
Purpose: Scientific conference presentation
Deliverables: Single-panel schematic MOA illustration, branded for conference display
Year: 2024
Project Description
A biotechnology company developing a GLP-1 gene therapy for the treatment of diabetes needed a schematic mechanism of action illustration for presentation at a global diabetes conference. The illustration had to accurately depict the full therapeutic sequence: AAV9 vector delivery to the beta cell, therapeutic transgene transduction, transcription to mRNA, translation to GLP-1 protein, packaging into secretory vesicles alongside insulin, and nutrient-stimulated GLP-1 release.
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is an incretin hormone that plays a key role in blood glucose regulation. Gene therapy approaches that enable endogenous GLP-1 production within beta cells represent a significant area of clinical development for type 2 diabetes. Illustrating this mechanism requires accurate understanding of both the gene delivery process and the downstream cellular biology, from vector transduction through to hormone secretion.
Scientific precision was required for a specialist audience of endocrinologists, researchers, and clinical professionals attending a major international conference. Visual clarity was equally important: the illustration needed to communicate a multi-step mechanism at large display scale, integrated consistently with the company’s brand colours and visual identity.
Our Solution
Working from the client’s initial sketch and independent research into the mechanism, Kryski Biomedia developed a schematic illustration that walks through each step of the GLP-1 expression pathway in numbered sequence. The five-step flow moves from AAV9 vector entry into the beta cell through nuclear transgene release, mRNA transcription, GLP-1 protein translation, vesicle packaging, and finally nutrient-triggered hormone release alongside insulin.
Brand colours were applied selectively to the foreground action elements, with the background kept monochromatic to reduce visual noise and direct attention to the mechanism pathway. The cell environment (nucleus, cytoplasm, secretory vesicles) was rendered with enough anatomical accuracy to orient a specialist reader while keeping the illustration schematic and easy to follow at a distance.
The illustration was refined through several rounds of collaborative review with the client team, tightening the visual logic and removing elements that added complexity without adding meaning. The final piece was delivered in digital format optimised for large-format conference display.
Why this type of work requires a medical illustrator
MOA illustrations for gene therapy programmes carry significant scientific and reputational stakes. Errors in the depicted mechanism (a mislabelled step, an inaccurate cellular process, a misrepresented vector) will be caught immediately by a specialist audience. The illustrator must understand the biology well enough to make independent judgements about what to include, what to simplify, and what must not be simplified.
Kryski Biomedia brings graduate-level training in biomedical science to every MOA project. Each illustration is developed through primary research into the mechanism, not solely from client briefs. This reduces revision rounds and ensures the final work holds up to expert scrutiny.
Services: MOA Illustration, Scientific Illustration, Conference Materials
