National Science Foundation Funds Promising Research Partnership Between Bioo Scientific Corporation And Mirna Therapeutics, Inc. On Targeted Delivery Of Micrornas

Bioo Scientific Corporation announced today that it has been awarded an additional $100,000 for its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the National Science Foundation. The funding will support tumor regression and pharmacokinetic studies featuring escalating doses of a microRNA-based therapeutic candidate from Mirna Therapeutics, Inc., used in combination with Bioo Scientific’s targeted transport technology. The supplemental funding brings the total financial support for this phase of the NSF project to $600,000.

The targeted transport technology (T3) combines a positively charged carrier compound and an antibody that is specific to a cell surface receptor to directly deliver RNA-interfering (RNAi) mediator payloads to specific cells in the body. The carrier-antibody conjugate, loaded with an RNAi mediator, can be administered systemically or locally to an animal (or cultured cells) where it is internalized by cells bearing surface receptors that are targeted by the antibody. Upon cell entry, the RNAi mediator is released from the T3 delivery vehicle and allowed to silence the expression of its intended targets. Bioo Scientific has been expanding its collection of antibody carrier controls and recently launched a conjugation kit to enable customers to develop antibody delivery vehicles in their own laboratories.

The RNAi mediator provided by Mirna Therapeutics is a mimic of the potent tumor suppressor microRNA, miR-34, which has proven to be effective and safe when used in animal models of cancer (Wiggins et al., Cancer Research 70:5923-5930, 2010). miR-34 is a key component of the p53 tumor suppressor pathway and is responsible for regulating multiple cancer-related genes and cellular processes.

About Bioo Scientific Corporation

Bioo Scientific Corporation is an Austin, TX based biotechnology company that provides innovative solutions to the life science industry. Bioo Scientific’s products are used around the world and can be purchased both directly or through our global distribution network that markets our products in more than 60 countries. For more information about Bioo Scientific, visit www.biooscientific.com.

About Mirna Therapeutics

Mirna Therapeutics, Inc. (Mirna) is an Austin-based biotechnology company that was founded in late 2007 as a spin-off of Asuragen Inc. Mirna is focused on the development of miRNA–directed therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Mirna’s lead programs are in cancer and feature “MicroRNA Replacement Therapy” which involves introducing tumor suppressor microRNAs into cancer cells to induce cell death and tumor shrinkage. For more information about Mirna Therapeutics, visit www.mirnarx.com.

Bioo Scientific Contact: Lance Ford: lford@biooscientific.com