DNAVision chosen by Roche Diagnostics Belgium

DNA Vision will begin service of Roche Diagnostics AmpliChip^TM CYP450 test. The AmpliChip^TM CYP450 test has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for diagnotic use. Thanks to genetic information from patients, AmpliChip^TM CYP450 test results will help and improve the selection of medications and doses of medications for a wide variety of common conditions such as cardiac diseases, chronic pain, cancer and common psychiatric disorders.

Leading provider of applied pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomic services, DNAVision is "proud to be choosen by Roche Diagnostics Belgium as the first European pharmacogenomic private testing laboratory to provide this first FDA approved DNA microaray test", said Dr Arnaud Termonia, scientific advisor of DNAVision. "We are delighted that Roche Diagnostics Belgium has chosen DNAVision for it's scientific expertise in pharmacogenetic testing and in the use of Affymetrix technology in a high quality environment".

IMI : Research programs for diabetes

The IMI will be involved in the program 2006-2010 of the Center for Beta Cell Therapy of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (Prof D. Pipeleers, VUB): the objective is to prevent early loss of insulin-secretory cells after graft. This research is done by Olivier Vosters and Claire Beuneu.

In the same time, within the framework of the Walloon programme "Waleo2", the IMI will take part in a project coordinated by Vincent Geenen (ULg). The IMI will identify new molecules involved in the differentiation of regulator lymphocytes controlling autoimmune responses at the origin of the disease. The long-term objective is to develop a vaccine against diabetes for babies at risk. A new post-doc (soon hired) will do research in collaboration with Alain Jacquet.

Remember: 84 projects were submitted to the Walloon programme "Waleo", only 15 were selected for a 20 Mio Euros provisionnal budget. ULB's teams are involved in half part of these 15 projects, as promoter or as partner.

IBMM : CRAB Project

Sinds January, the Genetics of Prokaryotes laboratory (IBMM) and Delphi Genetics took part in the CRAB Project: Combating Resistance to Antibiotics. Resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is a major problem of public health. Moving genetics elements are responsable of the spreading of resistance genes.

The objective of this European project is to understand molecular mechanisms involved in the spreading and in the staying of these elements inside bacterial population. Eight European partners are involved in this project coordinated by Didier Mazel (Pasteur, Paris).

New bioinformatic tool in BioVallee

To allow the identification and the quantification of any species in the bosom of a complex mix, Biovallee, in collaboration with DNAVision, has developed a powerful software that designs specific primers dedicated to your needs, as simple as a click.

The new requirements of the European Community as well as the increasing will of the distributors of the agro-alimentary field, induce more precise identification of the various components of a finished product. Up to now, only the genomic approach and more precisely the technique of the PCR allows such analyses fulfilling the European's requirements. Unfortunately this technology remains relatively expensive for the agro-alimentary field. Particularly designing of specific primers remains a long stage which requires a real expertise and which can moreover appear very time consuming according to the number and type of species to be identified within a complex mixture.

That is why, Biovallée has developed a bioinformatic tool whose target is to select specific PCR primers to any species, independently of the mixture to be characterized. To our knowledge, there is no software of this type on the market. This software is available and functional on the Web page of DNAVision.

DNAVision and personalised medicine

DNAVision will lead an ambitious research programme that will entail developing a therapeutic identity card or THERAPID. This card will be a high throughput DNA chip, making it possible to predict the toxicity or non-response to a medicinal product already on the market.

The originality of this card lies in the fact that it will take into account, firstly, toxic side effects linked to the metabolism of medicinal products and, secondly, the integrity of the target of the medicine (e.g. receptor). This tool will integrate all known genetic mutations with a potential pharmacological effect. In addition, this research should lead to the discovery of new mutations in the targets of usual medicines.

Henogen : New treatment battles against transplant rejections

Dr van Oosterhout from the Radboud University finished the first clinical trial of a new drug designed to help patients combat transplant rejections. The initial result indicated that a revolutionary immunotoxin treatment held out the promise of an effective cure for a rare condition called Graft Versus Host Disease.

He and his colleagues set up a spin-off firm, ImmunoToko. Henogen, immediately attracted by their research, acquired ImmunoToko, as Henogen is a product development company aiming at establishing its own line of biopharmaceutical products in the transplantation area.

ImmunoToko's research is in a complex area of biotechnology dealing with the immune system's response to come into contact with what it interprets as foreign cells. Immunotoxins are created by attaching ricin, or other plant or bacterial toxins, to antibodies, which target very specific parts of the human body, in this case cells in the immune system and poisoning them. ImmunoToko's treatment uses ricin-A and attaches it to two monoclonalantibodies instead of the normal one. The company says the system is very effective in killing just T-cells and not all the cells in the immune system. The toxin is also flushed out of the body much more quickly. After two days the tranplanted cells start to produce new T-cells that are acclimatised to the host and the immune system rebuilds.

The original clinical trials on seven patients who had little hope of survival tested the safety and pharmacology. ImmunoToko says that all of them lived longer than could expected. None had severe toxic side effects and all showed an effective elimination of T-cells and a resolution of active GVHD. Given the milder side effects, van Oosterhout is interested in the potential for developing a treatment for autoimmune problems such as Crohn's disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis, there may aslo be applications in treating rejection in kidney and liver transplants.

ImmunoToko is preparing for the next clinical trials. If successful they will be followed by further tests involving up to 500 patients. Only then the application process for the commercial production of the medicine will begin.

IBMM : Boa between Tournai and Charleroi

Boas from Jamaica are endangered species. In the seventies Durell Wildlife Conservation Trust (GB) managed a large program of reproduction in captivity in Europa: about 700 boas were born. A few years ago EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) created an european program to saveguard boas from Jamaica: it was managed by the Natural history Museum of Tournai.

Actions exist but a major question is still without response: what's the genetic diversity for the boas reproduced in captivity? What's the genetic diversity for boas in natural environnement? These questions are very important because a high diversity increases long-term survival probabilities. So if researchers know the genetic diversity, they can evaluate the impact of reproduction program and help for the future.

The Evolutionary Genetics Laboratory (IBMM) in collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Tournai will give genetic identification for boas in European zoos and boas in Jamaica. The collaboration will last for two years.

Euroscreen : European patent awarded for CCR5

The CCR5 receptor plays a central role in the mechanism by which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) binds to and enters white blood cells, and therefore represents a key target in the search for effective novel treatments for HIV infection and AIDS. Small molecule as well as antibody therapies targeting CCR5 are potential approaches to block HIV entry.

The European patent (0 811 063 B1) relates in particular to CCR5 research tools (DNA and polypeptide sequences, vectors and cell line), screening methods to single out compounds which can be used in the treatment of HIV infection, antibodies which bind to the human CCR5 receptor and uses of such antibodies in the treatment of HIV infection.

Pursuant to an agreement dated January 2003, Euroscreen and ICOS combined their respective patent estates with regards to CCR5 technology. This combination build a comprehensive patent portfolio for CCR5 wich enables Euroscreen to offer the rights to companies who are developing therapeutic drugs as well as antibodies that block the CCR5 receptor.