NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., May 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Senesco Technologies, Inc. ('Senesco' or the 'Company') (NYSE Amex: SNT) today reported results of H1N1 mouse influenza survival studies that were conducted in Dr. William Scheld's lab at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Mice treated with an siRNA against Senesco's Factor 5A gene had a 52% survival rate as opposed to a 14% survival rate for mice that received no treatment or a control siRNA.
A total of 73 mice were infected with a lethal dose of nasally administered H1N1 mouse influenza. The treated mice (n=31 mice) were administered Senesco's siRNA against Factor 5A approximately 24 hours after infection and then every other day for 11 days. Treated mice reversed the weight loss typically seen in infected mice at around day 8 of the study, which coincides with the reduced mortality. The treated mice had other reduced indicators of disease severity as measured by blood glucose and liver enzymes.
Dr. Scheld, the Bayer-Gerald L. Mandell Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and past president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, commented, 'These prototype studies have demonstrated that Factor 5A is a promising candidate for future study in several infectious diseases, including a model of lethal influenza.'
Bruce Galton, Senesco's President and CEO, added, 'We believe these data from Dr. Scheld further underscore Factor 5A's ability to mitigate apoptosis caused by inflammation, in this case from the H1N1 flu model. As we have previously stated, one of the attributes of Senesco's Factor 5A technology is its broad applicability. While we are currently working on our primary goal of filing an investigational new drug application with the FDA for the treatment of multiple myeloma, it is important that our other inflammation programs also progress.'
About Senesco Technologies, Inc.
Senesco Technologies, Inc. is a U.S. biotechnology company, headquartered in New Brunswick, NJ. Senesco has initiated preclinical research to trigger or delay cell death in mammals (apoptosis) to determine if the technology is applicable in human medicine. Accelerating apoptosis may have applications to development of cancer treatments. Delaying apoptosis may have applications to certain diseases inflammatory and ischemic diseases. Senesco takes its name from the scientific term for the aging of plant cells: senescence. Delaying cell breakdown in plants extends freshness after harvesting, while increasing crop yields, plant size and resistance to environmental stress.
