Kane Biotech Announces a Positive Independent Research Publication on Its DispersinB Technology
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (MARKETWIRE) -- 06/18/07 -- 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 an independent research publication on the Company's DispersinB technology, a patent pending anti-biofilm technology. The paper appeared in the recent edition of online scientific journal 'Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy' published by American Society for Microbiology.
The research findings reported in the publication, entitled "Synergistic activity of dispersin B and cefamandole nafate in the inhibition of staphylococcal growth on polyurethanes" co-authored by Dr. Gianfranco Donelli from the Department of Health, Istituto Superiore di Santa, Rome, Italy, and Dr. Jeff Kaplan from the Department of Oral Microbiology, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), demonstrates that DispersinB is not cytotoxic and that DispersinB treatment makes bacteria growing in biofilms more susceptible to an antibiotic such as cefamandole nafate.
"This research not only provides evidence that the DispersinB enzyme is non-toxic but also demonstrates that when DispersinB is combined with an antibiotic it enhances the activity of the antibiotic against biofilm-embedded bacteria such as Staphylococcus epidermidis" stated Dr. Kaplan, also the inventor of the technology. "These findings confirm that DispersinB-antibiotic combinations provide highly effective tools for preventing bacterial colonization of medical devices, including catheters."
"This study provides solid evidence that our technology is very effective in the fight against biofilms that attach to medical devices and also demonstrates that naturally occurring DispersinB is not cytotoxic." said Gord Froehlich, President and CEO of Kane Biotech. "Our database of scientific evidence continues to grow as we prepare this technology for commercialization."
DispersinB is a novel enzyme capable of both inhibiting and dispersing bacterial biofilms. Kane Biotech has a worldwide exclusive license to all human, animal and industrial applications of DispersinB from the UMDNJ. Kane Biotech is presently using dispersinB alone, and in combination with other antimicrobial agents to develop a proprietary medical device coating.
About Dr. Jeffrey Kaplan
Jeffrey Kaplan received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1980 and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the same institution in 1985. He received postdoctoral training in the Department of Microbiology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y., and in the Department of Microbiology at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, N.Y. Dr. Kaplan worked for 10 years in the Oncology Department at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Pearl River, N.Y., before joining the Department of Oral Biology at New Jersey Dental School in 1999.
Dr. Kaplan's lab is studying the detachment and dispersal of bacterial cells from biofilms with an emphasis on the gram-negative periodontal pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. His research is funded by the several grant agencies, including the National Institute of Health (NIH), USA. His discovery of DispersinB supported by the NIH grant was listed in the "NIH Annual Performance Report of 2004" as one of the thirteen achievements of the year.
About Kane Biotech Inc.
Kane Biotech is a biotechnology company engaged in the development of products to prevent and disperse microbial biofilms. Biofilms develop when bacteria, and other microorganisms, form a protective matrix that acts as a shield against attack. When in a biofilm, bacteria become highly resistant to antibiotics, biocides, disinfectants, high temperatures and host immune responses. This resiliency contributes to human health problems such as recurrent urinary tract infections, medical device associated infections and tooth decay.
Kane Biotech Inc. uses a patent protected technology based on molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation and methods for finding compounds that inhibit or disrupt biofilms. The Company has evidence that this technology has a great potential to significantly improve the ability to prevent and/or destroy biofilms in several medical and industrial applications.
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Contacts: Kane Biotech Inc. Justin Gagnon Investor Relations Professional (204) 478-5602 (204) 453-1314 (FAX) Email: jgagnon@kanebiotech.com Website: www.kanebiotech.com
Released June 18, 2007