Kane Biotech Inc., a biotechnology company engaged in the development of products that prevent and remove microbial biofilms, announced that the company has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement for Material Transfer (CRADA-MT) with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) in Silver Springs, Maryland.
Under this agreement, the WRAIR will test the company's DispersinB biofilm technology for its effectiveness in inhibiting and disrupting single and mixed-species bacterial biofilms associated with combat trauma wound infections.
Recently, the company announced the publication of a Harvard Medical School study confirming the presence of DispersinB-specific polysaccharide target in Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm, a commonly associated bacterium in combat trauma wounds. This makes Acinetobacter baumannii infection a prime target for DispersinB.
The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research has an overarching mission to conduct biomedical research focused on the health and medical readiness of US military personnel, to ensure that America's war-fighters are equipped with the most effective medical defenses and treatments relative to international health threats. The WRAIR fulfils its mission by conducting innovative basic and applied biomedical research and development of technologies to: (i)) prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious diseases; (ii) treat and transport combat casualties; (iii) prevent and minimize operational stress and health hazards; and (iv) prevent and treat casualties from biological and chemical agents.
"This CRADA-MT is an example of the ongoing collaborative research that Kane Biotech strives to undertake and it is an honour and privilege to have the WRAIR test our biofilm technology against pathogens that are a serious problem in combat trauma wounds," stated Gord Froehlich, president and chief executive officer of Kane Biotech Inc.