Licensing and Collaborative Opportunity

SuppressIT® and ExpressIT® Non-Heritable Transgenic Animal Models

In Vivo Gene Knockdown and Expression

Mirus Bio scientists have developed the first in vivo delivery technology that enables the creation of transgenic models in adult animals. Adult non-heritable transgenic (nh-transgenic) animals are created via hydrodynamic of RNAi constructs (SuppressIT nh-transgenic models) or expression vectors (ExpressIT nh-transgenic models). The hydrodynamic delivery methodology can be used to specifically target hepatocytes or skeletal muscle. Using this technology, animals can be created in which gene expression is knocked down, protein products are expressed and retained in the target cells or secreted into the bloodstream for systemic effects or the animals produce antibodies through genetic immunization. Together, this family of techniques provides a basis for studying gene expression in adult animals without the time or expense required for generating heritable knock-out animals using traditional methods.

The SuppressIT and ExpressIT nh-transgenic technologies are particularly suitable for:

• Generating animal models that are required within weeks, rather than the months required for germline transgenics.
• Generating animal models in species that would be prohibitively expensive by germline transgenics.
• Generating animal models where the genetic change would be lethal during development or would generate undesirable changes limiting the utility of understanding disease processes that occur only in adults.

These technologies are available for license from Mirus Bio. We also provide service capabilities for contracted projects with selected partners.