Amnis Corporation Release: ImageStream(R) Used For Pioneering Advance In AIDS Research

SEATTLE, July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Amnis Corporation, a manufacturer of advanced instrumentation for the life science research and diagnostics markets, announced today the publication of a major new study in the field of AIDS research. The pioneering work, involving the development of a robust murine model for long-term KSHV infection, was carried out by Dr. Dean Kedes and colleagues at the University of Virginia Health System. KSHV, a gamma herpesvirus, is the etiologic agent of Kaposi's sarcoma, the most common AIDS-associated malignancy worldwide.

"The establishment of this mouse model for KSHV infection provides a valuable tool that will enable us to achieve a better understanding of longitudinal patterns of viral gene expression, cell tropism and immune responses," said Dr. Kedes, a member of the University's Myles H. Thaler Center for AIDS and Retrovirus Research. "We believe that this new information will help in furthering our ability to understand how this virus causes tumors and, in the future, to design better ways of preventing or treating them." The lead author of the paper describing the work, Dr. Christopher Parsons, is also of the University of Virginia Health System.

"We are extremely gratified that the ImageStream system was employed for this important research," said David Basiji, Ph.D., Amnis' President and CEO. "Since its inception, we have been confident that ImageStream technology would ultimately have a direct impact on human health. The ImageStream system allowed Dr. Kedes and his colleagues to identify rare splenocyte subpopulations containing the virus and quantitate their numbers and level of infection with high specificity and sensitivity."

This research has been the subject of a previous announcement by the University of Virginia, which may be found at http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/521478/.

Amnis Corporation, headquartered in Seattle, WA, develops, manufactures and markets instrumentation for high speed imaging of cells in flow. Its flagship product, the ImageStream cell analysis system, generates six high resolution microscopic images of cells as they flow through the instrument at rates up to 300 cells per second. The system is unique in its ability to image tens of thousands of cells in minutes without the need to make slides. The IDEAS(R) image analysis package, an integral part of the ImageStream system, is a highly sophisticated yet easy to use tool for processing hundreds of thousands of images at a time. IDEAS enables highly advanced research applications in hematology, immunology, oncology and provides a critical foundation for the company's clinical applications development.

CONTACT: David Basiji, PhD, CEO of Amnis Corporation, +1-206-374-7000

Web site: http://www.amnis.com//