About This Project

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Pneumocystis pneumonia is a disease which kills immunocompromised children and adults. MiniVax is currently producing an antigen or protein that will be the basis for the creation of a therapeutic antibody and vaccine to treat and prevent this life-threatening infection. The antibody and vaccine have the capability of curing the disease and preventing the mortality associated with the infection. MiniVax needs your help to raise the $6,000 to procure a specialized centrifuge rotor and disposable laboratory supplies that are necessary to complete the production of the antigen/protein.

What is the significance of this project?

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is the #1 opportunistic infection in HIV/AIDS patients with a high mortality rate. MiniVax's pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) research validates that this disease is important due to the following data: .....[1. Growing at-risk patient populations: a) HIV b) Organ transplant c) Cancer d) Congenital immunodeficiency diseases] .....[2. Most patients develop PCP due to inability of patient to generate antibody response] .....[3. Current Treatment: Antibiotics only so better therapies are needed] .....[4. Size of market : 15,000 hospitalizations / year in US & 20,000 in Europe] .....[5. Average cost of hospitalization is ~$90,000] .....[6. 20% mortality (can be high as 40% depending on condition)] .......The following demonstrates why now and why MiniVax: .....[1. MiniVax research and therapeutic antibody can provide the antibody therapy to overcome the disease] .....[2. Classifies as an "orphan disease" which gets expedited FDA approval] .....[3. Initial research shows we can reduce hospitalizations and mortality rates with our therapeutic antibody]

What are the goals of the project?

In order to generate a therapeutic antibody and vaccine, the antigen/protein must be produced in a large quantity. This would require several iterations of a Baculovirus expression procedure, which requires specific reagents and materials that MiniVax currently does not have the capability to procure. These materials include various size pipet tips, centrifugation tubes of varying sizes, 6 and 24 well tissue culture plates, several different types of media required for the Baculovirus protein expression system, and purification systems. These laboratory materials total to $2,500.

In addition, some of the steps in the aforementioned expression and purification procedures require the centrifugation of specific volume samples at specific speeds. MiniVax currently has access to a centrifuge but lacks a rotor that is capable of housing these samples and centrifuging them at the necessary speed(s). This specialized centrifuge rotor costs $3,500.