MADISON, Wis., March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists at Mirus Bio Corporation have developed a genetic immunization technique for making high-quality antibodies faster and more cheaply than by conventional methods. This proprietary process is described in the February issue of the journal BioTechniques. It involves an innovative new method of intravenously injecting DNA into animals, whose immune systems respond by producing antibodies that can be harvested for subsequent use.
Antibodies are part of the body's immune system. Because they can bind to and neutralize specific antigens, such as proteins, viruses, and cancer cells, they have become useful tools in medical diagnosis and scientific research. Antibodies are also used for the targeted treatment of diseases, such as cancer.
Conventional methods of generating antibodies require the slow process of identifying, isolating, and purifying the protein which serves as the target antigen. The resulting protein is then injected into animals to elicit an antibody response, after which the antibodies are harvested and used for their intended purpose. However, due to the processes employed, such purified proteins may not be identical to the natural antigenic protein, and therefore may not be as potent at eliciting an immune response. They can also be very difficult to manufacture. The cost and uncertainty of this process, both in dollars and time, represent significant hurdles. The new technique developed at Mirus Bio bypasses these hurdles and enables research animals to naturally produce antigenic proteins that elicit a potent antibody response. This offers a higher quality antibody in less time at reduced cost.
"This represents yet another breakthrough application of our nucleic acid delivery portfolio," notes Jon A. Wolff, M.D., Mirus Bio's Chief Scientific Officer. This research was conducted by Mary Kay Bates, Hans Herweijer, Ph.D., and their colleagues at Mirus Bio and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
This research tool is available for licensing for those who wish to use it within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, either for internal research or as part of a commercial antibody production service.
About Mirus Bio Corporation:
Mirus Bio Corporation is a leader in the emerging fields of gene therapy and RNA interference, based upon its expertise in nucleic acid chemistry and delivery. The company currently markets state-of-the-art DNA and siRNA transfection and labeling products to researchers worldwide. In addition, the company is developing novel human therapeutics enabled by its proprietary Pathway IV(TM) delivery platform. The company's lead therapeutic is a treatment for Muscular Dystrophy, which is being developed collaboratively with Transgene S.A. of Strasbourg, France.
For more information go to: http://www.mirusbio.com
Mirus Bio CorporationCONTACT: Corporate Contact, Russell Smestad, President, +1-608-238-4400,Russ.Smestad@MirusBio.com, or Technical Contact, Hans Herweijer, PhD,Director, +1-608-238-4400, Hans.Herweijer@MirusBio.com, both of Mirus BioCorporation
Web site: http://www.mirusbio.com/
