Message #19 From:
NewsBot Date: October 25, 2006 10:48:00 AM
EGEI News eGene Inc. and City of Hope's Dr. David Senitzer Presented 'The End of Agarose Gel Electrophoresis' at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics in San Diego
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dr. David Senitzer, Ph.D., DABMLI, DABHI, Director of the
Histocompatibility Laboratory at the City of Hope National Medical
Center (Duarte, Calif.), presented his HLA genotyping work using the
first automated HLA SSP genotyping system from eGene (OTCBB:EGEI)
at the 32nd annual meeting of the American Society for
Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) at the Sheraton San Diego
Hotel & Marina in San Diego, California, recently. Dr. Senitzer
described the system as “The End of Agarose
Gel Electrophoresis.”
In his presentation (available on eGene’s
website, www.egeneinc.com), Dr.
Senitzer noted that he wished to replace serology (blood testing to
detect the presence of antibodies in the blood serum that may adversely
affect bone marrow transplants) with an analytical tool that was more
accurate and easier to perform. He said that current techniques --
polyacrylamide and agarose gel techniques -- did not match the
cutting-edge technology available for genetic analysis. Citing the “ambiguous
combinations resolved by PCR-SSP amplification,”
an alternative tissue typing technique to serology, Dr. Senitzer
explained how eGene’s automated multicapillary
electrophoresis system provides high-resolution HLA (human leukocyte
antigen) SSP typing results for 96 samples in 25 minutes, using a
cartridge inserted directly into the system.
“The system is automated from setup to
analysis, saving 30 to 40 percent in labor costs,”
Dr. Senitzer said. “There is no loading,
pipetting, electrophoresing gel, taking pictures with an ultraviolet
light, or annotating. The 96-well plate goes directly from PCR to the
automated analyzer.”
Further, Dr. Senitzer cited the advantage of using under 1 microliter of
sample, enabling rerunning; the high resolution and ease of
interpretation; and the ability to import the data into a patient
database. He added that the eGene cartridge can be reused for 3,000 PCR
sample analysis per cartridge.
Ming S. Liu, Ph.D., CEO of eGene, added, "There are nearly 600 HLA
laboratories worldwide routinely checking the individual HLA genotype
for organ and bone marrow transplantation. We believe our automatic,
affordable, user-friendly genotyping system represents the future of HLA
genotyping analysis."
ASHI (www.ashi-hla.org) is a
not-for-profit association of clinical and research professionals
including immunologists, geneticists, molecular biologists, transplant
physicians and surgeons, pathologists and technologists. As a
professional society involved in histocompatibility, immunogenetics and
transplantation, ASHI is dedicated to advancing the science and
application of histocompatibility and immunogenetics; providing a forum
for the exchange of information; and advocating the highest standards of
laboratory testing in the interest of optimal patient care.
ASHI is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing and has
liaisons with several other scientific and medical organizations
including the College of American Pathologists, American Association of
Blood Banks, American Association of Tissue Banks, American Society of
Human Genetics, the National Marrow Donor Program, American Board of
Transplant Coordinators, North American Transplant Coordinators
Organization, American Society of Transplant Physicians, American
Society of Transplant Surgeons, and the American Board of
Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics.
About Dr. David Senitzer
Dr. Senitzer has been director of the Histocompatibility Laboratory at
the City of Hope National Medical Center since 1994. Prior to that, he
served as director of the Transplantation Immunology Laboratory and
associate professor of surgery (immunology) at Montefiore Medical
Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, New York and associate
professor, department of microbiology, associate professor of pathology,
and director of the Tissue Typing and Cellular Immunology Laboratory,
Medical College of Ohio at Toledo (Toledo, Ohio).
About eGene Inc.
eGene Inc. (www.egeneinc.com)
focuses its core technologies of capillary electrophoresis,
microfluidics, liquid handling and automation to develop and manufacture
low-cost microfluidic, miniaturized digital genetic analyzer systems,
software and consumables for biological materials testing applications.
These products detect, quantify, identify and characterize DNA and RNA
at high rates of specificity and sensitivity while automating routine
and non-routine laboratory and industrial procedures critical to product
safety, development quality and productivity.
eGene’s HDA-GT12(TM) Genetic Analyzer is in
use at more than 100 hospitals and research centers worldwide. The
system analyzes genetic fingerprinting of living organisms through
microsatellites, AFLP and RFLP. It performs fast DNA sample screening
and high-resolution DNA fragment analysis (2-5bp). The system also
analyzes the quality and quantity of total RNA and cRNA, determines the
efficiency of cRNA and cDNA amplification reactions and ensures quality
of fragmented cRNA. The company sells cartridges that are specific to
the type of analysis to be performed. All data is then received in
digital form for appropriate transmission and storage.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are made based on
management's current expectations and beliefs. Actual results may vary
from those currently anticipated based upon a number of factors. The
Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revision, which
may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
