Company’s nanobacteria research leads to manufacturing, contamination-control initiatives
09/01/2005
TAMPA, Fla. - Ongoing research by Nanobac Life Sciences (www.nanobaclifesciences.com) has led to the discovery of the structure and pathogenic characteristics of nanobacteria that it says can lead to coronary artery disease and other plaque-related diseases. Based on those findings, the company says it plans to develop, license, and market compounds that will destroy or neutralize the particles, and to offer nanobacteria contamination-control services to biopharmaceutical developers.
For the past 17 years, Nanobac researchers have been studying a pathogen they believe is responsible for numerous chronic diseases. The nanobacteria have been characterized as calcifying nanoparticles, or CNPs, because of their ability to create calcium phosphate-coated vesicles or shells around themselves. The bony structures accumulate over time and become calcified plaques.
At the 2005 PDA Viral and TSE Safety Conference held in May, Dr. Olavi Kajander, chief science officer at Nanobac, disclosed that the nanobacteria consist of a core phospholipids vesicle surrounded by a calcium phosphate layer that binds proteins-including blood-clotting proteins and inflammation promoters-from its surroundings.
“Nanobacteria are like ticking time bombs,” Dr. Kajander told the gathering. “The particles are capable of activating multiple disease pathways. This leads us to believe that many diseases, such as kidney stones, atherosclerosis, prostatitis, arthritis, and psoriasis are local manifestations of a systemic disease.”
In establishing a new business initiative resulting from its recent research findings, Nanobac says it has developed a proprietary assay to screen nanobacteria compounds. Compounds showing efficacy, the company says, can then quickly move into animal models and then commercial development where it hopes products will effectively inhibit, destroy or neutralize the CNPs.
The company notes that CNPs also pose a risk in biopharmaceuticals containing human or animal blood components. As a result, Nanobac BioAnalytical Services will work with biopharmaceutical partners to develop and apply methods for avoiding, detecting, and addressing CNPs from raw materials or production substrates. The company’s contamination-control program focuses on host cell lines, animal- and human-derived materials, raw materials, availability of diagnostic procedures, and downstream processes capable of inactivating or removing CNP contaminants.