Altogen Labs Launches siRNA Liposome Encapsulation Services

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Altogen Labs (www.altogenlabs.com) has announced the release of a new contract research services (CRO) product: small interfering RNA (siRNA) liposome encapsulation, a technique used in biology laboratories to enable in vivo delivery of siRNA (http://altogenlabs.com/services/rnai_services/sirna_liposome_encapsulation_service). Liposome encapsulation platform uses latest microfluidizer (Microfluidics) technology and is unique in its ability to achieve liposomal protection of functional siRNA molecules, provide uniform target particle sizes, and enhance siRNA transfection efficiency in vivo.

In vivo siRNA-induced therapeutic gene silencing (RNAi) is achieved by efficient delivery of small RNA molecules, including siRNA, small hairpin RNA (shRNA), and microRNA (miRNA) into tissues. In vivo transfection is a major biology research method used to introduce siRNA molecules into animal tissues and tumors in xenograft animal models (http://altogenlabs.com/services/pre_clinical_research_services/xenograf_animal_studies). This technique makes it possible to protect siRNA from degradation in vivo and cross the cellular barriers to deliver siRNA into cells or tissues for research or therapeutic purposes. siRNA encapsulation allows highly efficient and tissue-targeted delivery of these small RNAs to animal tissues via multiple administration routes: intravenous, intratumoral, intraperitoneal, intratracheal, intramuscular, oral, or subcutaneous injection.

Altogen Labs encapsulation service is also available for liposome encapsulation of any negatively charged molecule, including plasmid DNA, RNA, and small proteins. Custom experimental design is available to provide in vivo siRNA protection (inside the liposomal core), PEG-modifications to reduce the innate immune response, and low cytotoxicity using biodegradable lipids and polymers (http://www.altogenlabs.com/services/pre_clinical_research_services/liposome_encapsulation_of_sirna_plasmid_dna_and_proteins).

Altogen Labs previously developed a line of in vivo transfection kits including Nanoparticle-, PEG-, lipid-, and polymer-based in vivo delivery reagents for research testing of pharmaceuticals in cells and small animals (www.altogen.com/mirna.htm).

About Altogen Labs

Altogen Labs focuses on providing pre-clinical research services (GLP-compliant biology CRO), including generation of stably transformed cell lines (www.altogen.com/support.php), pharmacology and toxicology services (IC50) for testing therapeutic biomolecules, cell banking services (http://www.altogenlabs.com/services/cell_banking/cell_banking_service), and gene silencing (RNAi) services. In vivo RNAi experiments require expertise, and can be very expensive and time-consuming. Altogen Labs offers wide range of in vivo services, including xenograft animal studies, in vivo siRNA delivery and tissue-targeting, RNAi cell-based siRNA and microRNA library screening, generation of tetracycline-inducible RNAi gene knockdown stable cell lines, quantitation of sh/siRNA-induced knockdown by qRT-PCR and Western Blot.

Link: http://www.altogenlabs.com/services/rnai_services/sirna_liposome_encapsulation_service

SOURCE Altogen Labs