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Unigene Laboratories has established collaborations with a number of leading academic scientists and clinicians over the last several years. We believe that such collaborative research provides a unique opportunity to investigate leading edge concepts and techniques, and develop innovative products that can benefit from Unigene's platform technologies. Where appropriate, Unigene will actively seek to in-license technologies and therapeutic compounds from academic institutions that can be rapidly advanced through collaborative research to a proof-of-concept stage.
Agnès Vignery PhD., D.D.S.
Dr. Vignery is an Associate Professor at the Yale University School of Medicine and has been a collaborator with Unigene since 1995. Dr. Vignery.s research interests include the areas of bone biology and immunosuppression. Her current studies on bone biology include the differentiation of osteoclasts, multinucleated giant cells that resorb bone, with particular emphasis on the fusion mechanism of their precursors belonging to the mononuclear phagocyte lineage. Dr. Vignery is also studying the immunosuppressive role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) with the goal of investigating how CGRP controls immune cell function and whether CGRP can be used in cell and organ transplantation. The most recent research focus in Dr. Vignery.s lab has been the development of a new approach to induce the formation of bone. From this research Dr, Vignery, and Unigene scientists, invented the Site-Directed Bone Growth technology, which involves the use of a simple, minimally invasive outpatient procedure in conjunction with the administration of an anabolic drug that has been shown in animals to facilitate and accelerate natural bone growth at precisely targeted locations. http://myprofile.cos.com/avignery
Donlin Long, M.D.
Dr. Long, a Distinguished Senior Professor of Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine was also the Neurosurgeon-in-Chief of the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at that institution from 1973 to 2000. He has authored more than 200 papers and authored or contributed to over 100 books about bone and related areas. He is actively involved in neurosurgery practice and has a major interest in the origins of spinal pain and the outcomes of treatment of spinal diseases. He is also one of the founders of the International Association for The Study of Pain. http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/profiles/long.html
Kieran J. Murphy, M.D.
Dr. Murphy is a Director of Interventional Neuroradiology and Associate Professor of Radiology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Murphy is a pioneer in the field of image guided/minimally invasive spine intervention, and the inventor of devices for vertebral stabilization (the Murphy needles) that have become the industry standard worldwide. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. His research focus is in the area of image guided spine intervention with a particular interest in prophylactic spine, hip, and wrist augmentation to reduce inevitable osteoporotic fractures in high-risk patients. http://neuroradiology.rad.jhmi.edu/murphy.html
Drs. Murphy and Long have been engaged by Unigene as consultants to assist in the development and testing of the Site-Directed Bone Growth technology for several applications including strengthening of weakened or damaged bones due to osteoporosis or fractures, the treatment of chronic back pain, the prevention of hip and vertebral fractures and the improvement of bone healing.
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