First Demonstration of nanoImmunology: a Nanomaterials-based Therapeutic Approach to Treat Allergy
20 Junho 2007 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Researchers from Luna Innovations Incorporated (NASDAQ: LUNA) and
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) are the first to show that
carbon nanospheres, sometimes referred to as �buckyballs,� are able
to block allergic response in human cell culture experiments and
mice. These findings are described in a paper entitled �Fullerene
Nanomaterials Inhibit the Allergic Response� published in the July
1 issue of the Journal of Immunology, setting the stage for the
development of new potential therapies for allergies using
nanomaterials. Kent Murphy, CEO, Luna Innovations, noted about
the�immunology discovery and publication, �Luna�s collaborations
with universities and strategic partners are key to our business
model and we are delighted to be part of this dynamic program to
discover a new frontier in medicine. We are actively seeking
pharmaceutical partnerships to help us accelerate the development
and validation process of these new and exciting compounds."
Allergy is the fifth leading chronic disease in the United States
among all ages, and the third most common chronic disease among
children under 18 years old, according to the Asthma and Allergy
Foundation of America. An estimated 50�million Americans (one in
five) suffer from some type of allergy. There are currently various
treatments to control allergies, but no known cure. "The immune
system both protects us and causes harm, so we are always
interested in finding new pathways to help manage the harmful
effects,� said Chris Kepley, Ph.D., principal author on the paper
and assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine,
Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at the VCU School
of Medicine. �This discovery is exciting because it points to the
possibility that these novel materials can one day lead to new
therapies,� said Kepley. Buckyballs, or fullerenes, are named after
American architect R. Buckminster Fuller renowned for his designs
based on geodesic domes. Researchers at Luna Innovations have
discovered and demonstrated that therapeutic applications
for�fullerenes may be much more practical than previously thought
or reported. �Through this joint collaboration with VCU, we
demonstrated the ability to modulate the immune response with
nanoscale precision,� said Dr. Robert Lenk, President of Luna
Innovations� nanoWorks Division and co-author of the paper. �Our
experiments could be the beginning of an entirely new field of
medicine we are calling nanoImmunology. We are excited about the
potential possibilities in immunotherapeutics and other medical
disorders that may be possible with these compounds.� The new
study�s findings are published in Volume 179 / No. 1 / July 1, 2007
issue of the Journal of Immunology. This research was supported in
part by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Food
Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. A copy of the study is available
to reporters in PDF format by email request from the American
Association of Immunologists at infoji@aai.org. About Luna
Innovations Incorporated: Luna Innovations Incorporated develops
and manufactures new-generation products for the healthcare,
telecommunications, energy and defense markets. The company�s
products are used to measure, monitor, protect and improve critical
processes in the markets it serves. Through its disciplined
commercialization business model, Luna has become a recognized
leader in transitioning science to solutions. Luna Innovations is
headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia. Luna nanoWorks, a division of
Luna Innovations, is located in Danville, Virginia. For more, see
www.lunainnovations.com. About VCU and the VCU Medical Center:
Virginia Commonwealth University is the largest university in
Virginia and ranks among the top 100 universities in the country in
sponsored research. Located on two downtown campuses in Richmond,
VCU enrolls more than 30,000 students in nearly 200 certificate and
degree programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Sixty-three
of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the
disciplines of VCU�s 15 schools and one college. MCV Hospitals and
the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth University
compose the VCU Medical Center, one of the nation�s leading
academic medical centers. For more, see www.vcu.edu. Forward
Looking Statements: This release includes information that
constitutes �forward-looking statements� made pursuant to the safe
harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, including statements that recent experiments involving carbon
nanospheres could be the beginning of an entirely new field of
medicine and statements regarding possibilities in
immunotherapeutics and other medical disorders that may be possible
with nanomaterial compounds. Actual results may differ materially
from the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements
as a result of various factors, including risks and uncertainties
set forth in the company�s periodic reports and other filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such filings are available
at the SEC�s website at http://www.sec.gov, and at the company�s
website at http://www.lunainnovations.com. The statements made in
this release are based on information available to the company as
of the date of this release and Luna Innovations undertakes no
obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after
the date of this release.
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