Pressure BioSciences, Inc. to Unveil Novel Protein Extraction Method for Lipid-Rich Samples at the ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass., June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: PBIO) ("PBI") today announced that it has developed a novel, potentially revolutionary method for the safe, rapid, efficient, and reproducible extraction of proteins from lipid-rich samples, including adipose and brain tissues, organelles, and membrane preparations. This patent-pending method combines the use of the Company's pressure cycling technology (PCT) with certain organic solvents. This method offers a significant advantage over existing techniques in that it enables protein extraction from lipid-rich samples without the use of detergents. This is important because detergents can cause serious problems in the subsequent analysis of these samples. The Company plans to discuss its findings this morning at a scientific poster session of the American Society of Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) Conference on Mass Spectrometry being held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Proteomic analysis of lipid-rich tissue is used in studies of type II diabetes, obesity, certain cancers, ALS, and a number of other serious human disorders. Current detergent-based methods for the extraction of proteins from lipid-rich samples can generate highly variable results, increasing the cost and processing time for the extraction and compromising the quality and quantity of the recovered proteins. Any method that can avoid the use of detergents may offer valuable advantages to researchers studying tissues rich in lipids. Data to be presented at ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry by the Company and its collaborators at the Harvard School of Public Health suggest that costs can be reduced, experimental protocols streamlined, and that the quality and quantity of protein recovery may be improved when lipid- rich tissues are processed with the Company's newly developed PCT-dependent, detergent-free process. The Company believes that these advantages should benefit the thousands of researchers throughout the world who routinely study lipid-rich samples.
Dr. Alexander Lazarev, Vice President of Research and Development of PBI, said: "Our data indicate that we can achieve nearly complete dissolution of lipid-rich tissue samples with our PCT-dependent, detergent-free protein extraction method. Our data also suggest that proteins and lipids can be isolated as two distinct fractions in a single step, thus allowing for the independent analysis of these molecules from a single sample in a far more rapid and efficient manner than possible with current methods. Finally, based on our results, we believe that lipids and proteins obtained using the PCT- dependent method will not require any additional purification to be directly compatible with HPLC, LC/MS analysis, and gel electrophoresis. This should avoid additional cost and time for the researcher, advantages that could subsequently help advance drug discovery in such important biomedical research areas as diabetes, obesity, certain cancers, and neurological disorders. These are very exciting results."
Dr. Alexander R. Ivanov, a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, and a co-author on the poster presentation, commented: "We are very pleased with the results generated to date. We observed higher yields of proteins with the PCT-dependent, detergent-free method than we would have expected with our standard extraction procedures. We also found that the PCT method was straightforward and easy-to-use, and gave us excellent quality of results. Perhaps most importantly, however, we extracted several proteins with the PCT method that were not previously released by standard, detergent-based extraction techniques. We are optimistic that this new PCT-dependent, detergent-free method will help to accelerate our research efforts."
About Pressure BioSciences, Inc.
Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (PBI) is a publicly traded, early-stage company focused on the development of a novel, enabling technology called Pressure Cycling Technology (PCT). PCT uses cycles of hydrostatic pressure between ambient and ultra-high levels (up to 35,000 psi and greater) to control bio- molecular interactions. PBI currently holds 13 US and 5 foreign patents covering multiple applications of PCT in the life sciences field, including such areas as genomic and proteomic sample preparation, pathogen inactivation, the control of chemical reactions, immunodiagnostics, and protein purification.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding the Company's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations, or predictions of the future are "forward-looking'' statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward looking statements include statements regarding the use of the Company's Pressure Cycling Technology Sample Preparation System (PCT SPS) for the extraction of proteins from lipid- rich samples; that the use of the Company's PCT SPS with certain organic solvents may obviate the need to use detergents in the extraction of proteins from lipid-rich samples; that nearly complete dissolution of adipose tissue can be achieved with the use of the Company's PCT SPS in combination with certain organic solvents; that lipids and proteins can be partitioned separately in a single step and that they can subsequently be analyzed in a far more rapid and efficient way than with current extraction methods; that bio-molecules extracted by the PCT method are directly compatible with HPLC, LC/MS analysis, and gel electrophoresis, which avoids significant costs and therefore may advance scientific discovery in lipid-rich sample research and drug discovery; that there is less loss of proteins with the PCT-dependent, detergent-free method than with standard techniques; and that proteins may be extracted by the PCT method that may not be extracted by other current techniques. These statements are based upon the Company's current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not limited to: unforeseen technological difficulties that the Company may encounter in the development of the PCT technology; due to unforeseen technical, marketing, sales, and distribution difficulties, PBI may not have sufficient financial resources to finance the commercialization of PCT as currently planned; due to such unforeseen technical, marketing, sales, and distribution difficulties, the PCT-dependent, detergent-free method of protein extraction may not offer any advantages over current methods of protein extraction; that the PCT- dependent, detergent-free method of protein extraction may not be adopted by the scientific community as an accepted method of protein extraction; that the PCT-dependent, detergent-free method of protein extraction may not help advance scientific research or drug discovery; that the PCT-dependent, detergent-free method of protein extraction may not enable the extraction of any proteins not previously extracted by current methods; and the other risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2006, the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, and other reports filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the information included in this release, except as otherwise required by law.
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SOURCE Pressure BioSciences, Inc.
Released June 6, 2007