Message #23 From:
NewsBot Date: December 11, 2006 01:05:00 PM
CYGX News CytoGenix synDNA(TM) HIV Vaccine Shows Robust Cellular Immune Response in Monkeys
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CytoGenix (OTCBB:CYGX) has demonstrated that a synDNA™
vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has activity in
monkeys. The study, conducted by Drs. Yin Chen and Frédéric
Kendirgi at CytoGenix in collaboration with Lauren Hirao and Dr. David
Weiner of the University of Pennsylvania, demonstrated that rhesus
monkeys injected with a synDNA™HIV vaccine
mounted a significantcellular immune response. The study
involved monkeys treated with a synDNA™
vaccine targeting two key viral proteins (gag and env)
with interleukin-15 as an adjuvant.
"This observation, the first evidence of activity for a synDNA™
vaccine in non-human primates, is encouraging in that it shows that the
synDNA™ vaccine is as effective as the DNA
plasmid-based vaccine expressing the same antigen. The advantages of
using DNA vaccines can be significantly extended using synDNA™
constructs and warrants further study to determine if the response is
sufficient to protect against HIV infection,”
stated David B. Weiner, Ph.D., an expert in DNA vaccination and a
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
The World Health Organization has estimated that nearly 40 million
people worldwide are HIV positive with over one half of those infected
residing in sub-Saharan Africa. The incidence of newly diagnosed
infections has skyrocketed in parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia
with infection rates increasing by more than 50% in some regions since
2004. In the United States, approximately 1.2 million people were
reported to be infected with HIV in 2005 and only seven other countries
in the world have a higher number of affected citizens.
“Demonstration of the bioactivity of a synDNA™
vaccine for HIV in non-human primates is a tremendous step forward for
CytoGenix,” commented Dr. Malcolm Skolnick,
President & CEO of CytoGenix, Inc. “This
experiment highlights the potential of the application of synDNA™
to the field of DNA vaccines as well as the use of DNA therapeutic drugs,”
continued Dr. Skolnick.
Dr. Yin Chen, Chief Scientific Officer at CytoGenix, comments, “The
use of enzymatically synthesized, bacteria free DNA to achieve
significant biological activity is a significant advance for the field
of vaccines and gene therapies. CytoGenix’s
synDNA™ products present a number of
advantages over DNA plasmids produced by bacterial fermentation. The
synDNA™ constructs avoid the use of
antibiotic resistance genes and other bacterial sequences, can be
rapidly produced and are more cost effective to produce. These are major
advantages in developing vaccines for a wide range of applications
including pandemic and bioterror threats.”
About CytoGenix: CytoGenix, Inc. is a Houston-based
biopharmaceutical company that develops and markets innovative products
and services based on its proprietary ssDNA expression technology. The
company has developed a breakthrough synthetic process for large-scale
production of high purity DNA at fraction of the cost of traditional
fermentation methods. CytoGenix currently has issued patents on its
ssDNA expression technology in the US, China and nine European countries
with over 41 additional international or US pending patent applications
on variations of this and the synDNA™
technology.
SAFE HARBOR: Except for statements of historical fact, the
statements in this press release are forward-looking. Such statements
are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These
factors include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions,
risks associated with the acceptance of new products, competition, and
other factors more fully detailed in the company's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Additional information about
CytoGenix and its technology can be found on the website at www.cytogenix.com.
