Introgenic

The differential expression of two closelyassociated cyclooxygenase isozymes, COX-1 and COX-2, exhibited functions beyond eicosanoid metabolism. We hypothesized that COX-1 or COX-2 knockout lung fibroblasts may display altered protein profiles which may allow us to further differentiate the functional roles of these isozymes at the molecular level. Proteomic analysis shows constitutive production of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in lung fibroblasts derived from COX-2-/- but not wild-type (WT) or COX-1-/- mice...

Cutaneous drug eruptions are frequently encoun¬tered. Their putative diagnosis is based on a set of imputability arguments. The histopathological aspect is often suggestive of the dermatosis nature, and varies according to the type of drug reaction. Some drug eruptions follow a benign course, but others including the toxic epidermal necrolysis are severe and life-threatening. It corresponds to a dermatological emer¬gency to be managed in a specialized burn unit.

The linked structural genes lux A and lux B, encoding bacterial luciferase of a marine bacterium Vibrio harveyi, were fused with the nitrogenase nifD promoter from Bradyrhizobium japonicum and with the P1 promoter of pBR322. Both fusions were integrated into the B. japonicum chromosome by site-specific recombination. Soybean roots infected with the two types of rhizobium transconjugants formed nitrogen-fixing nodules that produced bright blue-green light. Cells containing the P1 promoter/lux AB fusion resulted in continuously expressed bioluminescence in both free-living rhizobium and in nodule bacteriods...

Protein ubiquitination plays critical roles in the regulation of multiple cellular processes including cell proliferation, signal transduction, oncogenesis, and hypoxic response. TS20 is a Balb3T3-derived cell line in which ubiquitination is inhibited by restrictive temperature. While TS20 has been used to elucidate the degradation of many important proteins including p53, p27, HIF-1α, and ornithine decarboxylase, the molecular basis of its temperature sensitivity has not been fully determined. We cloned full-length E1 cDNA from TS20...

Contusugene ladenovec (Advexin; INGN-201; Introgen Therapeutics Inc) is a replication-impaired, non-integrating, serotype 5 adenoviral vector that carries the p53 gene under the control of the CMV promoter. Deletion or mutation of the p53 gene has been observed in approximately half of malignancies in patients with cancer and p53 pathway dysfunction was observed in the majority of others, thereby providing the rationale for p53 restoration in the treatment of cancer. Advexin has demonstrated a consistent safety profile and clinical efficacy as a monotherapy, as well as in combined modality regimens with chemotherapy and radiation...

Li-Fraumeni syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndrome. The majority of families fulfilling definition of Li-Fraumeni syndrome demonstrate inherited abnormalities involving the p53 gene. Cells with dysfunctional p53 are predisposed to the development of cancer phenotype. Advexin (Introgen Therapeutics Inc., TX, USA) is an adenoviral-based experimental therapeutic that provides delivery of wild-type p53 to cancer cells and demonstrates anticancer activity following adequate expression of p53...

Dapsone is a potent cause for introgenic methemoglobinemia that is frequently unrecognized. We describe such a case with successful antidotal therapy.

BACKGROUND: Loss of BIN1 tumor suppressor expression is abundant in human cancer and its frequency exceeds that of genetic alterations, suggesting the role of epigenetic regulators (DNA methylation). BIN1 re-expression in the DU145 prostate cancer cell line after 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment was recently reported but no methylation of the BIN1 promoter CpG island was found in DU145. METHODS: Methylation-sensitive arbitrarily-primed PCR was used to detect genomic loci abnormally methylated in breast cancer...

Introgen and its wholly owned European subsidiary Gendux AB are developing an adenoviral p53 gene therapy as a treatment for cancer in the US and Europe, respectively. Phase III trials in patients with head and neck cancer are ongoing, and a number of clinical trials in other cancer indications have been completed. INGN 201 is being reviewed by the EMEA for approval in Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) under the provisions of exceptional circumstance; the therapy is available on a compassionate use basis to eligible LFS cancer patients under a protocol authorised by the US FDA...

PURPOSE: The action of lens epithelial cells (LECs) is important for cataract and posterior subcapsular cataract after cataract surgery. In this study, we analyzed the effects of calcium on the characteristics of LECs. METHODS: The LECs were collected using albino rabbits and incubated in minimum essential medium [MEM, Introgen Corp. (12% fetal bovine serum: FBS)] (37 degrees C, 5 % CO2) for a week to induce their proliferation. Cell culture dishes (35 mm) were prepared and 7 mm cylindrical pipes were placed in them...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Lewis, M. J. (University of California, Davis), and H. J. Phaff. Release of nitrogenous substances by brewers' yeast. III. Shock excretion of amino acids. J. Bacteriol. 87:1389-1396. 1964.-When Saccharomyces carlsbergensis (two strains) and S. cerevisiae (one strain) were grown in static culture and the harvested, washed cells were suspended in a solution of glucose, amino acids were suddenly released and then rapidly reabsorbed in a space of about 2 hr. The phenomenon of amino acid release, which was termed shock excretion, varied in intensity with the strain of yeast and was shown to be dependent on the size of the pool of free amino acids within the cells...

Introgen's adenoviral p53 gene therapy [INGN 201, ADVEXIN] is in clinical development for the treatment of various cancers. The p53 tumour suppressor gene is deleted or mutated in many tumour cells and is one of the most frequently mutated genes in human tumours. INGN 201 has been shown to kill cancer cells directly. In August 2002, Introgen announced plans to file an application for INGN 201 with the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) for the treatment of head and neck cancer; the European filing will be submitted simultaneously with the previously scheduled (planned for 2004) submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) for ADVEXIN to the US FDA...

Introgen, under license from Corixa (formerly GenQuest), is developing INGN-241, a gene therapy based on the mda-7 gene in combination with the company's adenoviral delivery system, for the potential treatment of cancer. A phase I trial for the treatment of solid tumors was initiated at the end of November 2000.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

In April 2001, Aventis and Introgen signed a letter of intent to restructure their collaboration arrangement, giving Introgen responsibility for the worldwide development of all p53 programs under the existing collaboration and obtain exclusive worldwide commercial rights to p53-based gene therapy products, including INGN-201. In February 2001, Introgen was awarded US-06194191 for the commercial production of adenovirus vectors. In November 2000, the company and the University of Texas System were issued with US-06143290, entitled 'Recombinant p53 adenovirus methods and compositions', further solidifying the company's current p53 patent portfolio...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: The effect of adenoviral-mediated p53 transgene expression on the radiation response of two human prostate cancer cell lines, the p53(wild-type) LNCaP and p53(null) PC3 lines, was examined. The objective was to determine if this vector sensitizes cells to radiation independently of their p53 status. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A recombinant adenovirus-5 vector (RPR/INGN 201, Introgen Therapeutics, Houston, TX) containing a CMV promoter and wild-type p53-cDNA (Ad5-p53) was used to facilitate p53 transgene expression...

Somatic mutations in the transforming growth factor beta receptor type II (TGF-beta RII) gene have been observed in various human cancers showing microsatellite instability. Most of the mutations observed were additions or deletions of the mononucleotide repeat sequence present in TGF-beta RII coding region, suggesting that the TGF-beta RII may be a target gene of genomic instability in tumorigenesis. Recently, we reported germ-line frameshift mutations in the mononucleotide repeat sequence of the hMSH6 gene, which is believed to be one of the target genes of genomic instability in tumorigenesis, suggesting the possibility of germ-line mutation in mononucleotide repeat sequences...

[The following article appeared in The Wall Street Journal, issue of May 6, 1998.] Ever since scientists learned over a decade ago that cancer is the result of defective genes, they have dreamed of shutting down tumor growth simply by replacing the bad genes with good ones. Researchers at two biotech companies and a pharmaceutical giant believe they are close to making that dream come true, at least for some patients. In two weeks, scientists will present results of several studies showing, for the first time, that cancer growth in severely sick patients can be stalled through an innovative method of repairing damaged genes...