Dec. 6, 2007 Scientists from the John Innes Centre have proven
that by taking a short stretch of DNA from a bacterium and
delivering it with an existing antibiotic they can switch off
antibiotic resistance. Together with technology transfer company
PBL, the scientists have launched a spin-out company, Procarta
Biosystems Ltd, to develop the technology. "The DNA sequence
acts as a decoy, disrupting gene expression and blocking
resistance", said Dr Michael McArthur from JIC. "We are putting
genetic information directly into drugs. This is the first
application of a DNA based therapy." The scientists have also
patented a way of discovering decoys in bacteria without
necessarily having to know the genes involved. This means they
can develop effective new drugs against any bacterium within a
couple of years and at a fraction of the normal cost. The
technology can give fresh patent life to existing antibiotics -
when combined with a decoy they can be patented as a new drug.
This comes at a time when the number of n