Topical Gene Therapy Cream for Rosacea

[drnase]

Rosacea Research and Treatment Institute -- Cytogenix Gene Therapy


On September 1, 2005, I had a long follow up conversation with Kurt Berens at Cytogenix and its interest in Rosacea treatment. We spoke about their companies focus on inflammatory skin conditions. He verified that excessive or otherwise inappropriate inflammation is thought to be causative in many human disorders and skin conditions. He stated that his company scientists have found common proteins and expression of certain genes in many of these inflammatory reactions. He also restated Cytogenix's main gene therapy technology, "The Company has applied its technology to silence a powerful inflammation-causing gene and, has applied this sequence to a topical formulation against several inflammatory skin conditions"


They are also very excited about their gene therapy construct CY302 for topical therapy of Rosacea and Psoriasis. As stated on their website, " CytoGenix scientists are developing a topical cream containing the company's proprietary ssDNA expression system engineered to express a sequence that silences a human gene associated with critical early steps in most types of tissue inflammation and several other potential uses for this treatment include dermatitis (contact and atopic), acne and rosacea.


We then further discussed what was needed to get our hands on some of his expensive ssDNA gene therapy to test on rosacea blood vessels. He said he would just need a simple two page description of the investigators, the hypothesis, the protocols and how much ssDNA would be needed. He would make it happen. Very exciting that they are fully on board.


Gene therapy is confusing for most lay people...... and many scientist for that fact. Cytogenix has put together an excellent one page description of how this therapy works and has put together an excellent animation half way down. Please click on the link below, read the page and click on all four animated links under the diagram of the cell:


http://www.cytogenix.com/en_us/Techn...tml#flash1.xml

[Tamara]

This is very exciting! Thanks Geoffrey, for pursuing this and for letting us know about it.

[Barbara]

That sounds great! Thank you Dr. Nase! Also this animation really helped me understanding this stuff better.
Barbara

[hope]

"a simple two page description of the investigators, the hypothesis, the protocols and how much ssDNA would be needed"

dr. nase, is this a request for investigators or does he merely want you to describe HIS ready made team of investigators. this later option would seem inapporpriate - at least to a layman like me who is unfamiliar with medical research protocals. after all, i would think that the people doing the research would be in the best position to describe their backround and achievments).

ps. i am aware that the above two readings that i offer are probably both wrong. if you have time, could you explain his request.

[drnase]

That sounds great! Thank you Dr. Nase! Also this animation really helped me understanding this stuff better.
Barbara

Isn't the animation great. That would take about 10 pages of really complex medical talk to explain. I love animations like that.

[drnase]

"a simple two page description of the investigators, the hypothesis, the protocols and how much ssDNA would be needed"

dr. nase, is this a request for investigators or does he merely want you to describe HIS ready made team of investigators. this later option would seem inapporpriate - at least to a layman like me who is unfamiliar with medical research protocals. after all, i would think that the people doing the research would be in the best position to describe their backround and achievments).

ps. i am aware that the above two readings that i offer are probably both wrong. if you have time, could you explain his request.

Hi Hope,

Thats an excellent question.

We design our own experiments and test out our own hypothesis. This is independent of their company -- they would just supply the very expensive ssDNA to us for free if the grant was approved.

They do not guide our grant, decisions, results or publications -- they merely want to know if we have the correct investigators and equipment to get the project done and to make sure that it has some relevance to it for inflammatory skin disorders. They just would not want to give away their ssDNA to anyone. This is the proper way to do things.

Thank you for the question.

[hope]

thanks for clarifying