Geron Corp (GERN)

[prime3end]

Do note that Johns Hopkins is where Geron used GRN163L to kill cancer stem cells. This seems important. Discussion?

In the meantime, an international research team has shown that carbon nanotubes can also deliver siRNA agents into malignant cells and suppress tumor growth. Yongsheng Chen, Ph.D., from Nankai University, in Tianjin, China, and Richard Roden, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, led the effort to deliver an siRNA that targets the protein telomerase reverse transcriptase using positively charged single-walled carbon nanotubes. The researchers chose this type of carbon nanotube because negatively charged siRNA molecules would bind tightly to the surface of the nanotubes and because previous research had shown that these types of nanotubes easily cross the cell membrane without associated toxicities.

Initial experiments with tumor cells growing in culture showed that siRNA-nanotube complexes did enter the malignant cells easily. More importantly, once inside the cells the siRNA was able to stop production of telomerase reverse transcriptase and suppress proliferation of the treated cells. In followup experiments, the investigators injected the siRNA-nanotube conjugates directly into tumors, which had the effect of markedly reducing the size and weight of the tumors. The researchers note that while the direct injection technique might be useful with some types of cancer, a more efficient approach would be to add a tumor-targeting agent to the surface of the carbon nanotubes

The work targeting ovarian tumors, which was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute, is detailed in a paper titled, “Focal adhesion kinase targeting using in vivo short interfering RNA delivery in neutral liposomes for ovarian carcinoma therapy.” Investigators from University of California at Los Angeles also participated in this study. An abstract of this paper is available through PubMed. View abstract.

The work using carbon nanotubes as a delivery vehicle, which was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute, is detailed in a paper titled, “Delivery of telomerase reverse transcriptase small interfering RNA in complex with positively charged single-walled carbon nanotubes suppresses tumor growth.” An abstract of this paper is available through PubMed. View abstract.

http://nano.cancer.gov

Posted 29th August 2006


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