Plasmid News and Research

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Artificial cells to devour undesirables: an interview with Dr. Takanari Inoue

If junk is not removed, pathological conditions can develop. For example, in one condition, the neutrophil count significantly decreases. Neutrophils remove pathogens and people with a reduced neutrophil count are more prone to infection, especially to rare bacteria that wouldn’t cause infection under normal conditions.

3 Sep 2014

Celsion announces financial results for second quarter ended 2014

Celsion Corporation, an oncology drug development company, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2014.

7 Aug 2014

Researchers identify RNA that modulates action of important gene in process of programmed cell death

Researchers from the University of S-o Paulo (USP) have identified an RNA known as INXS that, although containing no instructions for the production of a protein, modulates the action of an important gene in the process of apoptosis, or programmed cell death.

31 Jul 2014

Celsion acquires all assets of EGEN

Celsion Corporation, an oncology drug development company, today announced the completion of the acquisition by Celsion of substantially all of the assets of EGEN, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and other difficult to treat diseases.

21 Jun 2014

Celsion signs definitive asset purchase agreement to acquire EGEN

Celsion Corporation (Celsion) (NASDAQ: CLSN), an oncology drug development company, and EGEN, Inc. (EGEN), a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and other difficult to treat diseases, today announced the signing of a definitive asset purchase agreement in which Celsion will acquire substantially all of the assets of EGEN, including its Phase Ib DNA-based immunotherapy product candidate EGEN-001 and its therapeutic platform technologies, TheraPlas™ for delivery of DNA and mRNA, TheraSilence™ for delivery of RNA, and RAST™ for Cell Enabled Expression and Secretion of RNA.

10 Jun 2014

Researchers solve structure of key protein that drives DNA copying in plasmids

Staph infections that become resistant to multiple antibiotics don't happen because the bacteria themselves adapt to the drugs, but because of a kind of genetic parasite they carry called a plasmid that helps its host survive the antibiotics.

10 Jun 2014

Inovio announces positive results on DNA-based monoclonal antibody therapy targeting CHIKV

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that its novel DNA-based therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) completely protected mice from a lethal CHIKV challenge.

27 May 2014

Juventas presents positive trial results of JVS-100 drug delivered by Biocardia’s Helix transendocardial system

BioCardia®, Inc., a leader in cardiovascular regenerative medicine, today announced the presentation by Juventas Therapeutics of their positive four-month results for their STOP-HF Trial.

20 May 2014

TSRI scientists create bacteria with expanded DNA code

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have engineered a bacterium whose genetic material includes an added pair of DNA “letters,” or bases, not found in nature. The cells of this unique bacterium can replicate the unnatural DNA bases more or less normally, for as long as the molecular building blocks are supplied.

8 May 2014

MIT researchers develop test that can rapidly assess DNA repair systems

Our DNA is under constant attack from many sources, including environmental pollutants, ultraviolet light, and radiation. Fortunately, cells have several major DNA repair systems that can fix this damage, which may lead to cancer and other diseases if not mended.

25 Apr 2014

OncoSec to present update of data from Phase 2 melanoma study at ASCO Annual Meeting

OncoSec Medical Inc., a company developing its ImmunoPulse DNA-based immunotherapy to treat solid tumors, will present an update of data from their Phase 2 melanoma study at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's 50th Annual Meeting, taking place May 30-June 3, 2014, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.

22 Apr 2014

Researchers identify novel vancomycin-resistant MRSA superbug in Brazil

An international research team led by Cesar A. Arias, M.D., Ph.D., at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has identified a new superbug that caused a bloodstream infection in a Brazilian patient. The report appeared in the April 17 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

17 Apr 2014

OncoSec Medical to re-launch Phase II cutaneous T-cell lymphoma trial under protocol amendment

OncoSec Medical Inc., a company developing its ImmunoPulse DNA-based immunotherapy to treat solid tumors, will re-launch its Phase II cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) trial under a protocol amendment.

7 Apr 2014

UH Math collaborates with Rice on synthetic gene circuit

A long-standing challenge in synthetic biology has been to create gene circuits that behave in predictable and robust ways. Mathematical modeling experts from the University of Houston (UH) collaborated with experimental biologists at Rice University to create a synthetic genetic clock that keeps accurate time across a range of temperatures.

7 Apr 2014

Inovio Pharmaceuticals unveils new DNA-based cytokine immune activator

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today unveiled that the company has developed a new DNA-based cytokine immune activator, interleukin -33 (IL-33), that in combination with optimized DNA vaccines delivered by electroporation increased the potency and efficacy of the therapeutic response to the DNA vaccines in a preclinical study.

23 Jan 2014

Vivaldi Biosciences inks agreement with NIAID to evaluate LAIV candidates against influenza A

Vivaldi Biosciences Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing live attenuated influenza vaccines against seasonal and pandemic influenza, today announced that it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to generate and evaluate in preclinical studies LAIV candidates against influenza A(H7N9).

21 Jan 2014

Prostate cancer vaccines receive a boost in funding

The development of two innovative new vaccines that are hoped to offer an alternative to castration therapy for men with recurring prostate cancer, is due for an $8 million boost in funding.

16 Jan 2014

Transgenomic, Horizon Discovery collaborate to develop improved genetic diagnostic tests with state of art controls

Transgenomic, Inc. (OTCBB: TBIO), a global biotechnology company advancing personalized medicine in cardiology, oncology, and inherited diseases through diagnostic tests as well as clinical and research services, and Horizon Discovery Ltd. (Horizon), a leading provider of research tools to support translational genomics and the development of personalized medicines, today announced they have entered into a collaboration agreement to develop improved genetic diagnostic tests incorporating state of the art controls.

16 Jan 2014

Cell transplantation, gene therapy combination to open new therapeutic avenues for Alzheimer's disease

In a recent study published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 33, 2013), Prof. Feng Li and team from Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University in China, synthesized a 19-nt oligonucleotide targeting BACE1, the key enzyme in amyloid beta protein (Aβ) production, and introduced it into the pSilenCircle vector to construct a short hairpin (shRNA) expression plasmid against the BACE1 gene.

24 Dec 2013

New assay allows rapid and sensitive detection of Chlamydia trachomatis

Researchers have developed a new assay for rapid and sensitive detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in humans.

12 Dec 2013