Recombinant DNA News and Research

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Recombinant DNA is a variety of techniques that molecular biologists use to manipulate DNA molecules to study the expression of a gene.

Experimental flu vaccine produced using insect cells shows promise

An influenza vaccine produced with the use of insect cells appeared safe and produced an immunogenic response in healthy adults, suggesting promise as an alternative to using embryonated eggs for the development of influenza vaccine, according to a preliminary study in the April 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Apr 2007

Combination Lyme disease vaccine proteins patented

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators at Stony Brook University have received U.S. Patent Number 7,179,448 for developing chimeric, or "combination," proteins that may advance the development of vaccines and diagnostic tests for Lyme disease.

9 Apr 2007

FDA approves absorbable polymer suture that uses DNA technology

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it has cleared for marketing in the U.S. the TephaFLEX Absorbable Suture - the first absorbable polymer suture made from material isolated from bacteria modified by recombinant DNA technology.

12 Feb 2007

NIH launches "Knockout Mouse Project"

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today awarded a set of cooperative agreements, totaling up to $52 million over five years, to launch the Knockout Mouse Project.

7 Sep 2006

ZymoGenetics files lawsuit against Bristol-Myers Squibb

ZymoGenetic has announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Bristol-Myers Squibb for infringement of its patents related to fusion protein technology.

15 Aug 2006

WRN exonuclease structure and molecular mechanism imply an editing role in DNA end processing

A team of scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Scripps Research Institute has determined the crystal structure and molecular mechanisms of a key part of WRN, a protein that protects humans from premature aging and cancer.

23 Apr 2006

Proof that proteins can be custom-designed

Ever since the advent of recombinant-DNA technology, scientists have conceived that it will be feasible to create entirely new enzymes for specific needs.

27 Jan 2006

FDA fast track status for Alfimeprase

Nuvelo Inc. today announced that it has been granted fast track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its lead product candidate, alfimeprase, for the treatment of acute peripheral arterial occlusion (PAO), or "leg attack."

23 Jan 2006

Startling results from new biomedical research will smooth path to the market place

Researchers have discovered how to convert liver cells of mice into pancreatic cells using a single injection. This may eventually lead to a cure for diabetes. Dr. James Mittra, one of the organisers of an international conference in Edinburgh on the Evolution of the Life Science Industries asks, “How does the pharmaceutical industry respond to this kind of work? They are primarily interested in treatments, not cures. Do they see this kind of research as a threat?”

27 Jan 2005

Heart bypass gets new source for replacement blood vessels

The search for a stable, renewable source of blood vessels, especially for potential use in heart bypass surgery, has reached a milestone at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

11 Nov 2004

U.S. approval for commercial marketing of leeches for medicinal purposes

The medicinal leech has a long history of use in medicine, although today its use is mainly limited to limb reattachment procedures instead of the wide-ranging medical use of the past. Leeches were once so commonly used that doctors were popularly called leeches. In Old High German, lâhhi (etymon of leech) means "physician".

29 Jun 2004