Gene Therapy EDTECH By: Krittamet Tatsanapornsatith … Continue reading →

Released: 29-Aug-2014 10:00 AM EDT Embargo expired: 29-Aug-2014 2:00 PM EDT Source Newsroom: Tufts University Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise NORTH GRAFTON, Mass. (August 29, 2014, 2 PM US Eastern Time)The current method to treat acute toxin poisoning is to inject antibodies, commonly produced in animals, to neutralize the toxin. But this method has challenges ranging from safety to difficulties in developing, producing and maintaining the anti-serums in large quantities. New research led by Charles Shoemaker, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, shows that gene therapy may offer significant advantages in prevention and treatment of botulism exposure over current methods. The findings of the National Institutes of Health funded study appear in the August 29 issue of PLOS ONE. Shoemaker has been studying gene therapy as a novel way to treat diseases such as botulism, a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Despite the relatively small number of botulism poisoning cases nationally, there are global concerns that the toxin can be produced easily and inexpensively for bioterrorism use. Botulism, like … Continue reading →