Nucleic Acid News and Research

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Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals starts Phase I study of SB 9200 for treatment of HCV infection

Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines for the treatment of viral infections, today announced that it has initiated dosing in a Phase I study of SB 9200, its investigational, once daily, oral therapy for the treatment of HCV infection.

24 May 2013

RUCDR Infinite Biologics creates new Genomics Technology Center

RUCDR Infinite Biologics, the world's largest university-based biorepository, has completed an $11.8 million renovation project to create a new Genomics Technology Center, comprising 12,500 square feet of laboratory, office, and storage space on the Busch Campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

18 May 2013

TGen joins Riddell to advance athlete concussion detection and treatment

Head protection plays a vital role in the health and safety of any athlete participating in helmeted sports. In a move that could help revolutionize football player safety, the Translational Genomics Research Institute, and Easton-Bell Sports through its Riddell brand, announced today it would work together on a study designed to advance athlete concussion detection and treatment.

15 May 2013

Mirus Bio to use CSIRO's RAFT Polymerization Technology to expedite its product development efforts

CSIRO and Mirus Bio LLC are pleased to announce a new license arrangement that will enable Mirus Bio to utilize the unique characteristics of CSIRO's Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer polymerisation technology (RAFT) to expand upon its high-end polymer development capabilities for the biotech industry.

22 Apr 2013

Santaris Pharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb partner to develop novel medicines using LNA Drug Platform

Santaris Pharma A/S, a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing medicines targeted to disease-related mRNAs and microRNAs, today announced a worldwide strategic alliance with Bristol-Myers Squibb to discover and develop novel medicines using Santaris Pharma's proprietary Locked Nucleic Acid Drug Platform.

18 Apr 2013

Junk DNA plays important role in brain development

Specific DNA once dismissed as junk plays an important role in brain development and might be involved in several devastating neurological diseases, UC San Francisco scientists have found.

16 Apr 2013

Novel nanoparticle-based approach enables more efficient delivery of siRNA drugs

New classes of drugs that can silence specific genes, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), offer great therapeutic potential. But the specific delivery of siRNAs to target cells to exert their effects remains a significant challenge. A novel nanoparticle-based approach that enables more efficient delivery of siRNA drugs is presented in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers.

12 Apr 2013

GE Healthcare releases next-generation sequencing assay for use in clinical trials

GE Healthcare announced today that Clarient Diagnostic Services, Inc., a GE Healthcare company, will begin offering a next-generation sequencing assay focused on solid tumor targets for use in clinical trials.

8 Apr 2013

UPV/EHU team uses lipid nanoparticles to develop new formulations for drug delivery

At the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Basque Public University (UPV/EHU) the Pharmacokinetics, Nanotechnology and Gene Therapy research team is using nanotechnology to develop new formulations that can be applied to drugs and gene therapy.

1 Mar 2013

Systemic delivery of antisense oligonucleotides neutralizes mutant RNA toxicity in mice with DM1

By targeting the specific mutation that causes the hereditary neuromuscular disease myotonic dystrophy, it is possible to neutralize the mutant RNA toxicity and minimize or even eliminate the disabling symptoms of the disease.

25 Feb 2013

Dako, Panagene sign supply agreement for PNA oligomer component

Panagene announced it has signed a supply agreement with Dako Denmark A/S to supply PNA oligomer key component for incorporation into Dako's diagnostic or research products. Dako, an Agilent Technologies Company since June 2012, is a leading global provider of tissue-based cancer diagnostic solutions.

22 Feb 2013

Spherical nucleic acids could revolutionize biomedicine

Northwestern University's Chad A. Mirkin, a world-renowned leader in nanotechnology research and its application, has invented and developed a powerful material that could revolutionize biomedicine: spherical nucleic acids (SNAs).

16 Feb 2013

Improving tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis: an interview with Professor Madhukar Pai, MD, PhD

TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nearly 9 million people develop TB every year, and TB kills nearly 1.4 million individuals each year. While the incidence of TB has steadily declined in the west, it remains a huge public health problem in many developing countries, with India having the highest burden.

15 Feb 2013

Nucleic Acid Therapeutics publishes special research section on noncoding RNAs

As scientists continue to unravel the complexity of the human genome and to uncover vital elements that play a role in both normal physiology and disease, one particular class of elements called noncoding RNAs is gaining a lot of attention. Guest Editor Tom Cech, PhD and Executive Editor Fintan Steele, PhD explore the enormous potential value of this rapidly advancing research area in their Editorial " The (Noncoding) RNA World."

15 Feb 2013

DNAzymes and gold nanoparticles used to detect infectious diseases

Infectious diseases such as malaria and syphilis can be diagnosed rapidly and reliably in the field by using a simple test developed by Canadian scientists. The test is based on the use of DNAzymes and gold nanoparticles. As the researchers report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, their test allows for the sensitive detection of bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

12 Feb 2013

Non-coding RNA MALAT1 influences lung cancer metastasis

The vast majority - approximately 80 percent - of our DNA does not code for proteins, yet it gets transcribed into RNA. These RNA molecules are called non-coding and fulfill multiple tasks in the cell. Alongside a well-studied group of small RNAs, there is also a class of so-called long non-coding RNAs consisting of more than 200 nucleotides.

6 Feb 2013

Flow cytometry can now be used for quantification of microbial cells in drinking water

Flow cytometry (FCM) can now be officially used for the quantification of microbial cells in drinking water. The new analytical method - developed at Eawag and extensively tested both in Switzerland and abroad - has been incorporated into the Swiss Food Compendium (SLMB) by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

25 Jan 2013

New apatamer can boost therapeutic effect of cell-based vaccines

A small compound called an aptamer that specifically targets and stimulates a human immune cell can greatly increase the effectiveness of an immunotherapeutic drug designed to destroy malignant or virus-infected cells. The development of a novel apatamer that recognizes activated T-lymphocytes and can boost the therapeutic effect of cell-based vaccines is described in an article in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers.

23 Jan 2013

FDA categorizes Cepheid's Xpert CT/NG test as 'Moderate Complexity' under CLIA

Cepheid today announced the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has categorized Cepheid's Xpert CT/NG test as 'Moderate Complexity' under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA).

17 Jan 2013

New method based on mass sequencing can detect hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome

Researchers of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) have developed and validated a new method to diagnose hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome based on mass sequencing of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The model is based on a genetic and bioinformatic analysis which has been proved very effective.