Genetic Engineering News Reports Companies Capitalizing on Gene Delivery Product Opportunities - DNA

Genetic Engineering News Reports Companies Capitalizing on Gene Delivery Product Opportunities
May 16, 2006
BusinessWire
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NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 2006--Delivering DNA into cells is one of the most rapidly developing areas of biotechnology and gene therapy, reports Genetic Engineering News (GEN). Cell delivery of DNA is also proving to be a powerful research tool for deciphering gene structure, function, and regulation, according to the May 15 issue of GEN (www.genengnews.com).
"Nonviral methods for gene delivery are particularly promising right now," says John Sterling, Editor-in-Chief of GEN. "However, obstacles remain and these include keeping the cells viable by reducing the toxicity and severity of chemical or electrical exposure. Enhancing efficiency and reproducibility of DNA uptake to drive high-level expression also remains a key challenge."
A number of companies view this arena as a prime business opportunity and have developed products for nonviral methods of DNA delivery. While scientists may transfect a variety of cell lines, this process often requires individual optimization. ATCC and nonviral gene transfer specialists at amaxa joined forces with the goal of streamlining the process. Using its Nucleofector(R) technology on cell lines supplied by ATCC, amaxa is creating and optimizing transfection protocols.
Bio-Rad Laboratories (AMEX:BIO) offers both transfection reagents and electroporation technology. For example, TransFectin(TM) is composed of a cationic lipid and a colipid called DOPE (1,2-dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine). Eppendorf markets its Multiporator(R) for the transfection of animal and human cell lines, embryonic stem cells, primary cells, plant protoplasts, bacteria, and yeasts.
Invitrogen (NASDAQ:IVGN) offers transfection reagents based on its cationic lipid formulations. The company's flagship product, Lipofectamine(TM) 2000, provides an easy protocol that works efficiently for plasmids and RNAi transfections, according to Henry Chiou, Ph.D., research manager for transfection.
Other companies covered in the GEN article include Mirus, EMD Biosciences, Qiagen (NASDAQ:QGEN), Roche Applied Science (NYSE:RHHBY), Stratagene (NASDAQ:STGN), and Thermo Electron (NYSE:TMO).