News Article

Kiromic Scientists Test Novel Gene-Therapy
Date: Oct 27, 2014
Author: Kiromic LLC
Source: Company Data ( click here to go to the source)

Featured firm in this article: Kiromic BioPharma Inc of Houston, TX



Scientists at Kiromic, LLC (Lubbock, Texas) and collaborators in Arkansas have published their findings on a novel gene-therapy approach to combat atherogenesis, a condition leading to coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is the most common cause of death in the Western hemisphere, claiming the lives of 380,000 Americans each year.
Kiromic's breakthrough gene-therapy research has demonstrated that expression of the anti-inflammatory molecules interleukin-10 (IL-10) and SMAD3 in the blood vessels of animals genetically predisposed to develop atherosclerosis significantly decreased cholesterol-mediated vascular damage. In the first study, Dr. Chiriva-Internati and colleagues demonstrated that selective expression of the anti-inflammatory gene IL-10 in diseased blood vessels, using their novel gene-delivery approach, results in less atherogenesis without toxic effects. The second study by the group also demonstrated that gene therapy-mediated vascular expression of SMAD3, another anti-inflammatory gene, decreased atherogenesis without side effects such as fibrosis or scarring of blood vessels.
"These results represent the very first step in the development of a potentially durable and effective treatment for CAD in humans", said Jose A. Figueroa, MD, Kiromics' chief medical officer. The results have been published in the prestigious scientific journals PLoS One and Journal of Translational Medicine in April and September 2014, respectively.