Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc, a provider of tools for gene delivery and oligonucleotide synthesis, announced today that it will officially launch CarriGene Plates - a novel Fast Transfection Plate product for in vitro delivery of plasmid DNA to mammalian cells. CarriGene Plates will be available in 6, 12, 24-well and 10 cm dish formats for routine transfection and viral vector production, as well as the highly convenient 96-well format for High Throughput Screening applications. The Plates are pre-coated with Kinovate's novel Biodegradable Cationic Polymer Transfection Reagent, which delivers exceptionally high transfection efficiency across a broad range of mammalian cell lines with extremely low toxicity.
This novel, patented technology is the world's first to offer a DNA transfection reagent pre-coated onto plates. Using this convenient format, researchers are able to drastically simplify
and speed up the transfection process. Whereas conventional reagent transfection requires two overnight processes -- one for seeding of cells and the second for transfection, CarriGene
Plates utilize a reverse transfection protocol in which DNA solution is first added to the plate, followed by cell solution. Cell seeding and transfection occur simultaneously, reducing
the entire process by one day. The increased speed and simplicity offer significant advantages in terms of time and labor saved for all users, in particular those performing High
Throughput Screening applications
In addition, by eliminating labor intensive processes such as mixing of DNA with reagent and changing of medium, CarriGene Plates will contribute to a reduction in human and systemic
errors, resulting in more consistent and reliable results. This is particularly the case when handling multiple samples simultaneously. Furthermore, as the product is stable at room
temperature for in excess of 12 months, users can hold stock of precisely the number of plates that they require to complete their research, eliminating costly waste of reagents and
streamlining the inventory process.
CarriGene Plates have been rigorously tested across a broad range of cell lines and show excellent transfection efficiency with superior cell viability in comparison with conventional
reagent products on the market. In direct comparison with two market leading reagents in a broad spectrum screening study utilizing over 50 cell lines, CarriGene Plates exhibited superior
performance in over 70% of cells tested. These included both common cell lines, such as HEK293, CHO-K1, COS-7, HeLa, HT-1080, NIH/3T3, etc., and some difficult to transfect cell lines
such as HUV-EC, DU-145, MCF-7, SKOV-3, and other cancer cell lines.
"Kinovate Life Sciences has for some time been involved in out-licensing of its proprietary transfection technologies. However, with this truly unique, revolutionary concept, the launch
of CarriGene Plates under our own brand, directly to the market for the first time represents not only a breakthrough in the transfection industry, but a significant step in Kinovate's
growth and development." stated Dr. Kenji Matsumoto, President of Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc. "The superior technology and clear advantages in terms of convenience and cost savings of
CarriGene Plates give us great confidence that this product has the potential to replace conventional reagent transfection as the standard methodology in the worldwide transfection
market."
In an extensive beta-testing campaign in which samples were distributed to in excess of 400 targeted researchers, Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc. received overwhelmingly positive responses
from users. 93% of respondents surveyed claimed that CarriGene Plates saved them time, and 88% said that it was easy to use. In addition, more than two thirds of respondents found that
CarriGene Plates were superior to their previous transfection method in terms of both transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity. When asked about their experiences using the product, one
researcher at a major U.S. university lab stated "It is very easy to use and has high transfection rate". Another at a renowned cancer research center noted that it "worked very well for
most cell lines tried, including a couple of very difficult cell lines".
Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc. plans an aggressive roll out of new products in the coming 12-24 months. These include Cell Line Specific CarriGene Plates Fast Transfection Plates, a
Biodegradable Polymer Transfection Reagents for DNA transfection; as well as both Plates and Reagent for in vitro delivery of siRNA. In vivo gene delivery tools are also under
development. In doing so, Kinovate plans to offer a complete suite of products to meet all gene delivery requirements.
About non-viral transfection and gene delivery
Non-Viral Transfection is a process in which genetic material is delivered into cell culture via chemical or physical processes. In the case of chemical mediated delivery, gene solution
is typically mixed with a cationic polymer or lipid reagent to form a complex in solution. This complex is then introduced to cell culture in vitro. The DNA-Reagent complex crosses the
cell membrane via endocytosis, allowing the genetic cargo to be delivered into the cell, and ultimately the nucleus, in order to induce expression of the target gene.
About Kinovate Life Sciences
Kinovate Life Sciences is a privately held company providing various materials and tools to the life sciences industry. Kinovate is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nitto Denko Corporation
(Osaka, Japan), one of the world's leading manufacturers of polymer materials and applied products. Kinovate's mission of commercialization and marketing of life science-related
technologies developed by Nitto Denko Corporation and its Oceanside, CA based R&D subsidiary company Nitto Denko Technical Corporation, place it at the cutting edge of gene-delivery
technology. Kinovate supplies transfection materials under license to various life science product providers. Kinovate also supplies NittoPhase Solid Support for Oligonucleotide Synthesis
directly to the market. NittoPhase was developed in collaboration with Isis Pharmaceuticals and launched in May 2005. More information about Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc. is available at
www.nitto.com.
Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc. forward-looking statement
This press release contains forward looking statements concerning research & development of polymer materials related to the life sciences area developed and commercialized by
Kinovate Life Sciences Inc. and its affiliates, including solid support for oligonucleotide synthesis. Any and all statements concerning Kinovate's claims, intentions, beliefs, etc should
be considered forward looking statements and as such at-risk. Statements made above, including those concerning testing results should be considered observed values, not guaranteed
values, and actual results may differ materially from those mentioned above. Readers of this press release are cautioned to not rely solely on the forward-looking statements contained
above.
Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nitto Denko Corporation.
Contacts:
Gaby Silver
Marketing Manager, Kinovate Life Sciences, Inc.
Phone: +1-760-435-7042
Web :