NuGene: Building bridges

"Trial and error can actually be easier than a rational approach to technology discovery," according to Daniel Meruelo, professor of pathology at the New York University School of Medicine. Meruelo, founding scientist of NuGene Technologies Inc., was referring to the process by which he began investigating safer ways to deliver genes to cells and ultimately arrived at the company's "molecular bridge" (MB) drug delivery technology.

The MB involves a coupling of "generic binders" between a therapeutic and a cell-specific targeting vehicle, which allows the company to deliver a variety of therapies, including proteins, genes, naked DNA, RNA and small molecules, to different body tissues...