Posted by Renee on March 01, 2000 at 10:36:04:
Received this from a diabetes mail group ( AOl NEWS):
GMP Companies, Inc. to Join EVMS in Diabetes Research; Promising Technology Has Potential to Cure Some Forms of Diabetes
NORFOLK, Va., March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Eastern Virginia Medical School and GMP Companies, Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. have signed a license and research funding agreement that will accelerate research efforts surrounding the islet neogenesis associated protein (INGAP) gene discovered by EVMS scientists. Researchers believe that INGAP has the potential to prevent or stop certain forms of diabetes and to identify people at risk for developing the disease so physicians may intervene before the onset of diabetes.
Over the next five years, the agreement provides for $6 million in research funding. The agreement also includes a licence fee, research milestones, and royalty structure.
"This funding will help telescope the research process here," said Leon- Paul Georges, M.D., professor and interim chairman of internal medicine and director of the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes. "It will help shorten the distance we must travel to find a cure for diabetes. It will also help the institutes' efforts in education and clinical activities."
GMP Companies plans to provide the infrastructure support for the development and potential commercialization of INGAP.
The INGAP gene stimulates regeneration and growth of insulin secreting islet cells from immature stem cells that survive the assault of diabetes. Aaron Vinik, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and pathology/anatomy and director of research at the EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Institutes, believes that the ability to generate new islet cells from a patient's own pancreatic cells represents a potential cure for diabetes. Past attempts to "cure" diabetes, such as pancreatic or islet cell transplants, engineered beta cells, and the artificial pancreas, have been unsuccessful. The INGAP technology overcomes these weaknesses by generating new cells recognized by the body as its own.
In people with diabetes, islets, microscopic structures scattered throughout the pancreas, degenerate and cease to produce insulin. Accordingly, these patients must rely on daily insulin injections to control their blood glucose. Insulin lowers glucose levels by stimulating tissues including muscle and liver cells to absorb glucose, and fat cells to convert glucose into fatty acids.
In certain forms of diabetes, including the most common form, type 2 diabetes, there is some measure of resistance to the action of insulin to promote glucose entry into muscle and the liver. The INGAP technology should increase insulin production whether there is insulin resistance or not.
"We are so pleased to be working with Drs. Vinik and Georges, who we recognize as internationally renowned physicians and physician-scientists. Although the research is still in its early stages, we are hopeful the promise translates to improved care of diabetic patients," said Bart Chernow, M.D., President of GMP Companies, Inc.
GMP Companies was formed in May 1999 to facilitate the commercialization of novel medical pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and device technologies that have a high likelihood of helping people with the most widespread and costly diseases and disorders.
Over the past three years, INGAP research has expanded in depth and breadth through collaboration with scientists throughout the world.
"We have taken ilotropin, a crude protein extract to the level of developing recombinant molecular biological techniques for the production of a protein derived from the gene of INGAP. We have also done all the necessary work to fully characterize this protein product," said Vinik.
This work included establishing the protein's size, shape, charge, and structure, as well as the ability to make antibodies necessary for the more extensive tests needed. Working with collaborators at McGill University, the team also tested the protein in a variety of physiological and biological systems. Vinik and his team have presented these findings at major national and international conferences.
The team has discovered that any time new islets are formed, INGAP is expressed. Through the induction of new islet cell formation, EVMS researchers have continued to investigate factors that initiate growth, proliferation, and differentiation of islet cells.
This includes a molecular biology approach to investigate the genes activated during the process of islet cell regeneration and a protein chemistry approach to investigate the expression of growth factor proteins that stimulate the growth, proliferation and differentiation of ductal epithelial cells, the foundation of new islets. The injection of funds, knowledge and expertise will greatly shorten the time when people with diabetes can expect to benefit from this technology, Vinik said.
"We look forward to a number of years of outstanding collaboration. As an endocrinologist who has seen many patients with diabetes suffer, I am very excited at the promise held by the work of Dr. Vinik," said Chernow of GMP.
In addition to Gary Pittenger, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine, and other members of the INGAP discovery team, EVMS has recently added David Taylor-Fishwick, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine, to bolster research efforts. Taylor-Fishwick, a cell and molecular biologist who is an expert in receptor technology with drug development experience, will contribute new immunological science to the effort.
GMP is also providing a $500,000 grant for education and patient care programs at the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes, and $30,000 each for lectureships at EVMS and McGill University in Montreal.
"We have always been confident in the diabetes research at EVMS," said David Thiel, EVMS vice president for administration and finance. "This agreement externally validates the quality of research at EVMS and specifically Dr. Vinik's work at the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes, as represented by these significant financial resources."
Approximately 16 million Americans suffer from diabetes, costing the U.S. health care system an estimated $100 billion annually. Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.
"If it were not for the support of all the donors that have supported our efforts, we would not be in this position. I hope everyone achieves the satisfaction of knowing that their hard work, fundraising, leadership, and vision has paid off," Georges said.
SOURCE Eastern Virginia Medical School
CO: Eastern Virginia Medical School; GMP Companies, Inc.
ST: Virginia
IN: EDU MTC
SU:
03/01/2000 10:01 EST http://www.prnewswire.com