UCI Researchers Compare Gel Analysis to eGene High-Speed HDA-GT12(TM) System Analysis in Attempting to Find High-Throughput and Cost-Effective Strategy for ApoE Genotyping in Alzheimer's Disease.

IRVINE, Calif. -- eGene Inc. (OTCBB:EGEI), developers of a revolutionary high-performance genetic analysis technology, today announced that its HDA-GT12(TM) Genetic Analyzer has been used by researchers at the Center for Molecular and Mitochondrial Medicine and Genetics at the University of California, Irvine, to find a high-throughput and cost-effective strategy for ApoE genotyping of Alzheimer's Disease.

Researchers Vincent Procaccio, M.D., Ph.D., Antonio Davila and Richard Jimenez of the Center for Molecular and Mitochondrial Medicine and Genetics at UCI, under the direction of Douglas Wallace, compared traditional slab gel electrophoresis to automated capillary electrophoresis (the HDA-GT12 eGene Analyzer) in performing their analysis. They concluded that the automated procedure using eGene's Analyzer can reduce hours of work to five minutes, while increasing the number of samples that can be run concurrently and decreasing the cost per test. In addition, all of the information can be stored on the automated system for comparison and further analysis.

"As our population ages, genetic analysis will take a bigger role in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease," stated Ming S. Liu, acting CEO of eGene. "This study, carried out at MAMMAG, demonstrated that our Analyzer can effectively improve the workflow and increase the productivity of medium- to high-throughput laboratories."

The HDA-GT12(TM) Genetic Analyzer is designed to improve the workflow and increase the productivity of medium- to high-throughput laboratories. A patented multiplex fluorescence detection design with solid-state light sources and micro-optical collectors makes the system compact and affordable. The system analyzes microsatellites, AFLP and RFLP. It performs RNA and oligonucleotide quality checks, as well as fast DNA sample screening, high-resolution DNA fragment analysis (2-5bp) and large DNA fragments analysis (up to 10Kb). In addition, the system analyzes the quality and quantity of total RNA and cRNA, determines the efficiency of cRNA and cDNA amplification reactions and ensures quality of fragmented cRNA.

In performing gel analysis, the researchers used 10 percent polyacrylamide gel and loaded 20 microliters of digested PCR products mixed with dye into each well. They electrophoresed for one and one-half hours, stained the gel with ethidium bromide for 10 minutes and viewed and photographed the Hhal fragments with an ultraviolet light source for the gel image photo.

Using eGene's system, the researchers used only one microliter diluted Hhal digested PCR samples and diluted (1:10) in TE solution, loaded 12-strip tubes in the eGene HDA-GT12 System and ran the OM 500 method with 15bp and 3kb markers. Run time was less than five minutes. Finally, they analyzed chromatograms on the BioCalculator(TM) software provided by eGene. This software controls the operation of the instrument and data analysis, giving researchers the flexibility to choose electropherogram and/or gel-view formats. The researchers determined that eGene's system could provide the appropriate needed data in a significantly less time and for less money than conventional analysis.

Alzheimer's Disease, characterized by progressive loss of memory and cognitive function, is the most common form of neurodegenerative disease. Excessive accumulation of B-Amyloid peptides (AB) and neurofibrillary tangles are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's Disease.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), a protein that functions in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system to help repair damaged cell walls following injury, facilitates the transport of lipids to provide injured neurons with cholesterol and phospholipids.

Three different types of ApoE (2, 3 and 4) have been described and ApoE-e4 has been linked to increased risk for the development of Alzheimer's in 40 to 60 percent of patients. Researchers believe that by identifying the genetic markers, they can help to provide a better understanding of risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease.

About eGene Inc.

eGene Inc. focuses its core technologies of capillary electrophoresis, microfluidics, liquid handling and automation to develop and manufacture low-cost, microfluidic, miniaturized digital genetic analyzer systems, software and consumables for biological materials testing applications. These products detect, quantify, identify and characterize DNA and RNA at high rates of specificity and sensitive while automating routine and non-routine laboratory and industrial procedures critical to product safety, development quality and productivity.