Sep 3 2009
Kane Biotech Inc. (TSX VENTURE:KNE), a biotechnology company engaged in the development of products that prevent and disperse microbial biofilms is pleased to announce a recent research publication by Harvard Medical School on their finding of DispersinB® enzyme specific substrate in Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii). The manuscript appeared in the latest online edition of the Journal of Bacteriology (doi: 10.1128/JB.00647-09).
The publication, entitled "The pgaABCD locus of Acinetobacter baumannii encodes the production of poly-Beta-1-6-N-acetyl glucosamine PNAG that is critical for biofilm formation" by Choi, A.H.K. et al., confirms that pgaABCD genes encode the production of PNAG, which is needed for biofilm formation in combat wound and hospital-acquired infection associated pathogen A. baumannii.
"Our study shows that A. baumannii contains pgaABCD genes that encode proteins required for the biosynthesis of PNAG polysaccharide, which is essential for biofilm formation," stated Dr. Tomas Maira-Litran, Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston. "Biofilm-dependent production of PNAG could be an important virulence factor for this emerging pathogen that has a few known virulence factors," added Dr. Maira-Litran.
Dr. Sri Madhyastha, Vice President-Research & Chief Scientific Officer of Kane Biotech, commented on the findings stating, "Since the PNAG polysaccharide in A. baumannii and other Acinetobacter species biofilms is a specific substrate for the activity of the DispersinB® enzyme, DispersinB® will prevent as well as disperse Acinetobacter biofilms. DispersinB® can be used in medical device coatings and wound care products for prevention as well as treatment of combat wound and hospital-acquired infections involving Acinetobacter baumannii, an emerging bacterial pathogen".
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