SIRION Biotech has taken a critical step in the company's development towards a viral vector Center of Competence: all three major types of viral vectors used for sophisticated drug discovery are now available, either ready off the shelf or custom made.
The three important types of viral vectors are adenovirus (AV), adeno-associated virus (AAV) and lentivirus (LV): AV for transient gene expression, AAV for long-lasting in vivo expression, LV for stable genomic integration.
The company started out in 2007 with adenovirus, creating an unsurpassed standard of excellence for this model. AAV's were introduced last December (04 December 2012). After in-house optimization of their lentivirus strategies, the company can now achieve standard transduction efficiencies of almost 100% even with hard to transduce primary human cells, e.g. lymphoma, when using this gene delivery system. These excellent results provide sufficient comfort to add lentivirus to the company's portfolio of reliable viral vectors.
All signs point to a high time for working with strategic cell models, closer to reality. In addition, viral vectors are being frequently used for novel vaccine development and gene therapies. The first gene therapy application has recently been approved in Europe last November. One of SIRION's core competences is the design of de-novo viral vectors and subsequently of custom cell models. The company has also developed Ad19a, a novel vector envelope with superior performance in animal and human organisms, preferably transducing cell types that are immunologically relevant. On top, the company is about to launch ready-to-use cell lines made from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). These are commonly used as a laboratory model system for the study of the function and pathology of endothelial cells.
Within a matter of weeks, the company's laboratories in Munich, New Hampshire and Tokyo provide custom-made viral vectors and entire cell lines. Research laboratories in both academia and industry are now able to fully concentrate on their core competences such as analyzing gene function or compound and sample screening.
The three important types of viral vectors are adenovirus (AV), adeno-associated virus (AAV) and lentivirus (LV): AV for transient gene expression, AAV for long-lasting in vivo expression, LV for stable genomic integration.
The company started out in 2007 with adenovirus, creating an unsurpassed standard of excellence for this model. AAV's were introduced last December (04 December 2012). After in-house optimization of their lentivirus strategies, the company can now achieve standard transduction efficiencies of almost 100% even with hard to transduce primary human cells, e.g. lymphoma, when using this gene delivery system. These excellent results provide sufficient comfort to add lentivirus to the company's portfolio of reliable viral vectors.
All signs point to a high time for working with strategic cell models, closer to reality. In addition, viral vectors are being frequently used for novel vaccine development and gene therapies. The first gene therapy application has recently been approved in Europe last November. One of SIRION's core competences is the design of de-novo viral vectors and subsequently of custom cell models. The company has also developed Ad19a, a novel vector envelope with superior performance in animal and human organisms, preferably transducing cell types that are immunologically relevant. On top, the company is about to launch ready-to-use cell lines made from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). These are commonly used as a laboratory model system for the study of the function and pathology of endothelial cells.
Within a matter of weeks, the company's laboratories in Munich, New Hampshire and Tokyo provide custom-made viral vectors and entire cell lines. Research laboratories in both academia and industry are now able to fully concentrate on their core competences such as analyzing gene function or compound and sample screening.
