AntiCancer, Inc., Develops New Whole-Body Imaging, Infectious-Disease Mouse Model for Novel Antibiotic Discovery.Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 7, 2001 AntiCancer, Inc., has announced that it has developed new non-invasive, whole-body imaging technology to follow infectious bacteria in the major organs of mice. This new technology is expected to become a highly useful tool to discover novel antibiotics and virulence genes for resistant pathogenic bacteria Pathogenic bacteria Bacteria that produce illness. Mentioned in: Gastroenteritis . This simple, non-intrusive technique can show in great detail the spatial-temporal behavior of the infectious process in an animal. Bacteria, engineered to express a novel green fluorescent protein "EGFP" redirects here. EGFP may also refer to the ICAO airport code for Pembrey Airport. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) is a protein, comprised of 238 amino acids (26,9 kDa), from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria (GFP GFP Green Fluorescent Protein GFP Generic Framing Procedure GFP Government Furnished Property GFP Generic Frame Protocol GFP General Framing Procedure GFP Global Functional Plane GFP Global Field Power GFP Grandmothers for Peace GFP Glutton for Punishment ) developed by AntiCancer, are sufficiently bright as to be clearly visible from outside the infected animal. Instantaneous real-time images of the infectious process in numerous organs are acquired using a video camera by simply illuminating the mice with blue light. In contrast to other technologies, the whole-body fluorescence imaging technology developed by AntiCancer is fast and requires no extraneous agents. The development of infection over just a few hours on internal organs and its regression after effective antibiotic treatment can be visualized by whole-body imaging. This imaging technology affords a powerful new approach to visualizing the infection process, determining the tissue specificity of infection, the spatial migration of the infectious agents, and for screening of novel antibiotics and virulence genes. The new technology is reported in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, usually referred to as PNAS, is the official journal of the United States National Academy of Sciences. USA. "This new technique makes possible the rapid in vivo screening and evaluation of new antibiotics, the role of virulence genes and other determinants of infection pathology and immunity in vivo," said Dr. Shigeo Yagi ya·gi n. pl. ya·gis A directional radio and television antenna consisting of a horizontal conductor with several insulated dipoles parallel to and in the plane of the conductor. , General Manager of AntiCancer. "This new in vivo imaging infection model demonstrates the great importance and utility of AntiCancer's GFP imaging technology which led previously to whole-body imaging mouse models of cancer metastasis metastasis /me·tas·ta·sis/ (me-tas´tah-sis) pl. metas´tases 1. transfer of disease from one organ or part of the body to another not directly connected with it, due either to transfer of pathogenic microorganisms or to , angiogenesis angiogenesis /an·gio·gen·e·sis/ (-jen´e-sis) vasculogenesis; development of blood vessels either in the embryo or in the form of neovascularization or revascularization. an·gi·o·gen·e·sis n. , and gene expression providing some of the most powerful in vivo tools for drug discovery," said Dr. Yagi. AntiCancer, founded in 1984 and based in San Diego, is also developing new drugs for cancer based on genetic engineering, targeting cancer specific metabolic defects. The company is also developing diagnostics for cancer and other diseases as well as gene therapy of cancer and other diseases. |
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