Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc (INO)

[Ubertino]

Inovio, one of my investments, has a process to open up cells to allow an input of DNA vaccine called electroporation - it opens the cell membrane to allow the entry and then closes with no ill effects.

Electroporation uses controlled, millisecond electrical pulses to create temporary pores in the cell membrane and allow dramatic cellular uptake of a synthetic DNA vaccine previously injected into muscle or skin. http://www.inovio.com/technology/electroporation-delivery/

By oscillating super-fast, these sound waves are able to gently open up the blood-brain barrier, which is a layer that protects the brain against bacteria, and stimulate the brain’s microglial cells to move in. http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=29994181.

So...this brain membrane opening on a temporary basis to allow the microglial cells to enter and do their clean up of plaque struck me as somewhat like electroporation! Electroporation is achieved using a skin surface contacting electrode arrangement. I'm thinking that these superfast oscillated sound waves might work equally well.