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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Techulon signs exclusive license with Virginia Tech to market new theranostic transfection reagent

Techulon™ Inc., an early stage life sciences company based in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, has signed an exclusive license with Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc. to market a new theranostic transfection reagent. This new traceable reagent complements Techulon's currently marketed Glyocofect™ transfection platform and expands the company's offering in an $800 million market that is steadily growing at 15% annually.

26 Oct 2010

Viral microRNA allows EBV to hide within cells and evade immune system

While most commonly associated with mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been linked to many diseases that affect people long after the initial infection takes place, including some forms of cancer. In the current issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, scientists at The Wistar Institute describe how viral microRNA - small segments of RNA that suppress the effects of gene activity - allows EBV to hide within cells and evade the immune system.

26 Oct 2010

Examining genetic material of egg cells may inform about embryos health

Fertility procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) require a couple and the doctor to place the risky bet that the multiple eggs they choose to fertilize will produce an embryo that will thrive in the uterus. Researchers cannot biopsy eggs directly because that would destroy them, but a new discovery by professors at Brown University and Women & Infants Hospital could lead to new insights about how eggs develop and ultimately inform judgments about how the embryos they produce will fare. The idea is to examine the genetic material the egg cells discarded when they were first forming, to see which genes they were expressing.

26 Oct 2010

Vertex initiates OPTIMIZE Phase 3b study in patients infected with genotype 1 HCV

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced the initiation of a Phase 3b study called OPTIMIZE that will evaluate twice-daily (BID) dosing of a telaprevir-based combination regimen in people chronically infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) who have not been treated previously. This is the first Phase 3 study to evaluate twice-daily dosing of a protease inhibitor for the treatment of hepatitis C. OPTIMIZE will not include a control arm of pegylated-interferon and ribavirin alone.

26 Oct 2010

FDA approves Roche's real-time PCR COBAS TaqMan HCV Test, v2.0

Roche announced today that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the real-time PCR COBAS® TaqMan® HCV Test, v2.0. Clinical research organizations have depended on COBAS® TaqMan® technology to support hepatitis C pharmaceutical trials and development.

25 Oct 2010

FlexBone shows potential replacement for current bone transplantations

With a failure rate as high as 50 percent, bone tissue grafts pose a significant obstacle to orthopedic surgeons attempting to repair complex fractures or large areas of bone loss, such as those often caused by trauma and cancer. Current synthetic substitutes rarely possess the bone-like properties needed for successful grafting and are often difficult for surgeons to manipulate in the operating room. In response to these challenges, researchers at UMass Medical School have developed an easy-to-produce, inexpensive, synthetic bone material called FlexBone.

25 Oct 2010

New gene therapy product reduces plasma cholesterol levels

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (AMT) Holding N.V. a leader in the development of gene based therapies, today announced that its gene therapy product incorporating siRNA sequences into microRNA scaffolds to silence Apolipoprotein B100 (AAV-miApoB) was able to significantly lower plasma cholesterol levels in vivo over a period of 18 weeks. These preliminary results suggest that this approach could lead to a treatment for high cholesterol in humans

25 Oct 2010

Optimer presents two fidaxomicin Phase 3 trials data for CDI infection at IDSA Annual Meeting

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the presentation of combined data from its two fidaxomicin Phase 3 trials in patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

25 Oct 2010

Researchers find gene mutation mechanism that cause mitochondrial diseases

Scientists have discovered a new cause of spastic ataxia, and believe this cause is also a trigger for other mitochondrial diseases neurological disorders that can lead to serious coordination, growth, visual, speech, and muscle defects.

22 Oct 2010

Techulon signs license with Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties to market DNA delivery platform

Techulon Inc., a life sciences company based in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, has signed an exclusive license with Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc. to market a new, traceable DNA delivery platform created to deliver genetic medicine to cells while carrying a beacon so scientists can follow its progress.

22 Oct 2010

Altogen Biosystems releases PEG-Liposome siRNA In Vivo Transfection Kit

Altogen Biosystems announced the release of its second generation of in vivo RNAi transfection reagent in the company's popular in vivo delivery product line: PEG-Liposome siRNA In Vivo Transfection Kit. This reagent is also compatible for in vivo transfection of other negatively charged molecules – RNA, DNA, and small proteins.

22 Oct 2010

Antigene therapy uses light energy to silence gene activity: Review article

Antigene therapy is a promising new treatment strategy that uses a DNA-based drug to pinpoint light energy to a target gene shutting down its activity.

22 Oct 2010

Researchers suggest gene therapy may treat patients with major depression

In a report published in the Oct. 20 issue of Science Translational Medicine, researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center say animal and human data suggest gene therapy to the brain may be able to treat patients with major depression who do not respond to traditional drug treatment.

22 Oct 2010

Regulus present advancements in microRNA platform at Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society meeting

Regulus Therapeutics Inc. announced today that advancements from its leading microRNA platform and product pipeline were presented at the "6th Annual Meeting of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society" held October 20 - 23, 2010 in Dana Point, California.

22 Oct 2010

Idera announces IMO-3100 Phase 1 clinical trial results for autoimmune disease

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced results from its single-dose, dose-escalation Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and mechanism of action of IMO-3100, its lead Toll-like Receptor (TLR) 7 and TLR9 antagonist drug candidate for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

22 Oct 2010

Dicerna secures $4 million in second closing of Series B equity financing

Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a second generation RNA interference (RNAi) company developing novel therapeutics utilizing its proprietary Dicer Substrate Technology and Dicer Substrate siRNA (DsiRNA) molecules, today announced a second closing of its Series B equity financing, securing an additional $4 million and bringing the total capital raised in this round to $29 million.

22 Oct 2010

Intercell and Romark announce IC41-nitazoxanide combination clinical trials for HCV

Intercell AG and Romark Laboratories L.C. today announced plans to commence clinical trials of Intercell's investigational therapeutic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine, IC41, in combination with Romark's antiviral drug, nitazoxanide, during the first half of 2011.

21 Oct 2010

Study: p63 gene stifles spread of cancer

Long overshadowed by p53, its famous tumor-suppressing sibling, the p63 gene does the tougher, important job of stifling the spread of cancer to other organs, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the Oct. 21 issue of Nature.

21 Oct 2010

EPO grants new patent to Silence Therapeutics’ RNAi structural modification technology

Silence Therapeutics plc announces that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted a new patent that provides broad protection on novel aspects of the RNAi structural modification technology known as the Zamore Design Rules.

20 Oct 2010

Study finds adipose dysfunction linked to steatosis, necroinflammation in G1 CHC patients

Researchers at the University of Palermo in Italy provide the evidence that a higher visceral adiposity index score-a new index of adipose dysfunction-has a direct correlation with viral load and is independently associated with both steatosis and necroinflammatory activity in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C (G1 CHC).

20 Oct 2010

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

Techulon signs exclusive license with Virginia Tech to market new theranostic transfection reagent

Viral microRNA allows EBV to hide within cells and evade immune system

Examining genetic material of egg cells may inform about embryos health

Vertex initiates OPTIMIZE Phase 3b study in patients infected with genotype 1 HCV

FDA approves Roche's real-time PCR COBAS TaqMan HCV Test, v2.0

FlexBone shows potential replacement for current bone transplantations

New gene therapy product reduces plasma cholesterol levels

Optimer presents two fidaxomicin Phase 3 trials data for CDI infection at IDSA Annual Meeting

Researchers find gene mutation mechanism that cause mitochondrial diseases

Techulon signs license with Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties to market DNA delivery platform

Altogen Biosystems releases PEG-Liposome siRNA In Vivo Transfection Kit

Antigene therapy uses light energy to silence gene activity: Review article

Researchers suggest gene therapy may treat patients with major depression

Regulus present advancements in microRNA platform at Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society meeting

Idera announces IMO-3100 Phase 1 clinical trial results for autoimmune disease

Dicerna secures $4 million in second closing of Series B equity financing

Intercell and Romark announce IC41-nitazoxanide combination clinical trials for HCV

Study: p63 gene stifles spread of cancer

EPO grants new patent to Silence Therapeutics’ RNAi structural modification technology

Study finds adipose dysfunction linked to steatosis, necroinflammation in G1 CHC patients

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