A New Study Shows DispersinBTM Helps Our Body's Immune Cells To Kill Bacteria

Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 06 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Kane Biotech Inc. (TSX VENTURE:KNE), a biotechnology company engaged in the development of products that prevent and remove microbial biofilms, is pleased to announce a research publication on its DispersinBTM technology. The manuscript appeared in the recent online edition of Microbial Pathogenesis (2008), doi: 10/1016/j.micpath.2008.05.007.

The publication, entitled "Both leukotoxin and poly-N-acetylglucosamine surface polysaccharide protect Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans cells from macrophage killing" authored by Dr. Jeffrey B. Kaplan and his colleagues, demonstrates that when biofilm-embedded Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A.a) is treated with DispersinBTM it makes the bacteria susceptible to macrophage killing. Previously, it has been shown that bacteria in a biofilm are 100 to 1000 times more resistant to antimicrobials and host's immune responses than their planktonic counterparts.

"Our studies showed that the pre-treatment of biofilm-embedded "A.a" cells with DispersinBTM removes the biofilm and renders the cells sensitive to killing by the body's macrophages", stated Dr. Jeffery Kaplan, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

"The findings of Dr. Kaplan's group suggest that when DispersinBTM is used in products such as wound gels and device coatings, either in combination with an antimicrobial or alone, it makes biofilm-embedded bacterial pathogens susceptible to killing by both antimicrobials and macrophages or by our body's macrophages alone", added Dr. Sri Madhyastha, Chief Scientific Officer of Kane Biotech.
v DispersinBTM is a novel antibiofilm enzyme capable of both inhibiting and dispersing bacterial biofilms. Kane Biotech has received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for DispersinBTM and has been awarded a $405,000 contribution from the National Research Council-Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) to further develop this technology. Kane Biotech is presently using DispersinBTM alone, and in combination with other antimicrobial agents, to develop a wound care therapy and a proprietary medical device coating.

Please visit Kane Biotech's website at http://www.kanebiotech.com for a link to the publication abstract.

About Kane Biotech Inc.

Kane Biotech is a biotechnology company engaged in the development of products to prevent and remove biofilms. Biofilms are a major cause of a number of serious medical problems including chronic infections and medical device related infections. They develop on surfaces such as catheters, prosthetic implants, teeth, lungs and the urogenital tract. Biofilms are pervasive, costly to deal with and approximately 80% of all human bacterial infections involve biofilms. The healing of chronic wounds alone costs the Unites States health care system $20 Billion per year.

Kane Biotech is currently developing two lead technology platforms

- DispersinBTM, a novel antibiofilm enzyme that inhibits as well as disperses microbial biofilms, with applications in wound care, medical devices, oral care and animal healthcare. Kane is currently developing a DispersinBTM based antibiofilm/antimicrobial wound gel for healing chronic wounds.

- PS/CHX, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial/antibiofilm composition comprising FDA-approved protamine sulfate and chlorhexidine, with applications in anti-infective medical device coatings, animal care and dairy and food processing industries. This technology has been licensed to Harland Medical Systems to develop antimicrobial urinary and venous access catheters.

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Kane Biotech Inc.