Gene Therapy Experiments

Source: abclocal.go.com --- 68 days ago
Scientists for the first time have used Gene Therapy to dramatically improve sight. ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 3 days ago
Related Articles Modified pectin-based carrier for Gene delivery: Cellular barriers in Gene delivery course. J Control Release. 2008 Jun 7; Authors: Katav T, Liu L, Traitel T, Goldbart R, Wolfson M, Kost J The use of polysaccharides as DNA carriers has high potential for Gene Therapy applications. Pectin is a structural plant polysaccharide heterogeneous with respect to its chemical structure. It contains branches rich in galactose residues which serve as potential ligands for membrane receptors interaction. In order to make the anionic pectin applicable for DNA complexation, it was modified with three different amine groups (cationic). Pectin-NH(2) was prepared by modifying the galacturonic acids carboxyl groups with primary amine groups and further modified to generate pectin-T (TN(+)H(CH(3))(2)) and pectin-NH(2)-Q (QN(+)(CH(3))(3)). All three modified pectins formed complexes with plasmid DNA as indicated by gel electrophoresis analysis. The size and morphology of pectin-NH(2)/DNA complexes were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Transfection Experiments were carried out with human embryonic kidney cell lines (HEK293), using plasmid DNA encoding for green fluorescence protein (GFP). Transfection efficiency was analyzed by flow cytometry analysis, using FACS. Pectin-NH(2)-Q was the most efficient carrier. Addition of chloroquine ("lysosomotropic" agent) to transfection medium substantially enhanced the HEK293 transfe ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 17 days ago
Neo-organoid of marrow mesenchymal stromal cells secreting interleukin-12 for breast cancer Therapy. Cancer Res. 2008 Jun 15;68(12):4810-8 Authors: Eliopoulos N, Francois M, Boivin MN, Martineau D, Galipeau J Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), beneficial for regenerative medicine applications due to their wide differentiation capabilities, also hold promise as cellular vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic plasma-soluble Gene products due to their ease of handling, expansion, and genetic engineering. We hypothesized that MSCs, Gene enhanced to express interleukin-12 (IL-12) and then embedded in a matrix, may act as an anticancer neo-organoid when delivered s.c. in autologous/syngeneic hosts. We performed such Experiments in mice and noted that primary murine MSCs retrovirally engineered to secrete murine IL-12 can significantly interfere with growth of 4T1 breast cancer cells in vivo, with a more substantial anticancer action achieved when these cells are embedded in a matrix. Plasma of mice that received the IL-12 MSC-containing neo-organoids showed increased levels of IL-12 and IFN-gamma. Histopathologic analysis revealed less tumor cells in implants of 4T1 cells with IL-12 MSCs, and the presence of necrotic tumor islets and necrotic capillaries, suggesting antiangiogenesis. We also showed that the anticancer effect exerted by the IL-12 MSCs is immune mediated because it is absent in immunodeficient mice, is no ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 6 days ago
Induction of the human heat shock promoter HSP70B by nutritional stress: implications for cancer Gene Therapy. Cancer Invest. 2008 Jul;26(6):553-61 Authors: Siddiqui F, Avery PR, Li CY, Zhang X, LaRue SM, Dewhirst MW, Ullrich RL BACKGROUND: We designed and tested, in vitro, an adenoviral construct containing the feline interleukin-12 (IL-12) Gene under control of the heat-inducible promoter HSP70B. This construct, AdhspfIL12, was used in a phase I trial in feline soft tissue sarcomas. During the course of our Experiments, we noted that IL-12 was being produced in the transfected Crandell Feline Kidney (CrFK) cells under certain conditions even in the absence of hyperthermia. This observation was further explored to identify the cause of this unintended HSP70B induction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used real-time PCR as a sensitive method to quantitatively detect the presence of even small amounts of IL-12 mRNA. This served as a surrogate indicator of HSP70B induction. Various conditions were tested to induce the heat shock promoter, including nutritional deprivation, radiation and changes in pH. RESULTS: Nutritional stresses, specifically the absence of glucose and glutamine, could induce the heat shock promoter, thus, resulting in production of the downstream Gene product. Other factors known to trigger the heat shock response, pH change, and reactive oxygen species production were also studied but were not found to contribute to heat s ...

Source: hosted.ap.org --- 70 days ago
NEW YORK (AP) -- Scientists for the first time have used Gene Therapy to dramatically improve sight in people with a rare form of blindness, a development experts called a major advance for the experimental technique.... ...

Source: www.ksdk.com --- 70 days ago
Gene Therapy Experiments Improve Vision In Nearly Blind ...

Source: autism-blog.com --- 30 days ago
This is an article about using different types of light beams, via fiberoptics, to stimulate brain function. Someday this could help treat autism, blindness, Parkinson's, and depression, through what it called Gene Therapy. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/14/science/14brai.html?pagewanted=1 (ALSO, TO VIEW THE FIBEROPTIC RODENT, see www.optogenetics.org ) By INGFEI CHEN Published: August 14, 2007 It sounds like a science-fiction version of stupid pet tricks: by toggling a light switch, neuroscientists can set fruit flies a-leaping and mice a-twirling and stop worms in their squiggling tracks. But such feats, unveiled in the past two years, are proof that a new generation of genetic and optical technology can give researchers unprecedented power to turn on and off targeted sets of cells in the brain, and to do so by remote control. These novel techniques will bring an “exponential change” in the way scientists learn about neural systems, said Dr. Helen Mayberg, a clinical neuroscientist at Emory University , who is not involved in the research but has seen videos of the worm Experiments. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” Dr. Mayberg said. Some day, the remote-control technology might even serve as a treatment for neurological and psychiatric disorders. These clever techniques involve genetically tinkering with nerve cells to make them respond to light.  read more » ...