MON AM News: UW-Madison study details method for improving gene therapy uptake; New federal PFAS designation unlikely to provide immediate relief for Wisconsin communities

May 6, 2024

— UW-Madison engineers have developed a method for improving the body’s uptake of certain gene therapies through controlled electrical stimulation.

In a recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE, electrical engineering researchers found that delivering harmless pulses of electricity to liver cells caused them to absorb 40 times as much gene therapy than those that weren’t shocked.

This type of therapy uses genetic material to prevent or treat certain diseases. One such therapy focused on Type 1 diabetes was developed by the late Hans Sollinger, a UW-Madison transplant surgeon who died last year.

After creating the strategy — which involved delivering genetic code to the patient’s liver cells to foster insulin production — he partnered with UW-Madison Profs. John Booske and Susan Hagness on the project, according to a release from the university.

“What we started talking about was local, targeted delivery and whether there was a way of getting the treatment DNA directly into the liver without passing it through the entire body and triggering the immune system,” Hagness said in the release. “And whether we could use electric pulses in order to make this delivery process more efficient and dramatically reduce the dose needed.”

Using gene therapy virus particles to deliver a fluorescent green protein, PhD student Yizhou Yao demonstrated that cells exposed to an 80-millisecond electric pulse took in much more of the highly visible proteins. But Booske notes the research team still isn’t sure exactly how the electrical pulses are helping the virus pass through the cell membrane.

While he says they’re likely opening miniscule “nanopores” in this structure, the researchers aren’t sure if that’s what’s causing the large increase in uptake.

“Yao got this remarkable result, and it dawned on us that virus particles are in general bigger and more complex than bare molecular particles and they already have their own way of getting inside cells,” Booske said. “So, we don’t really know if it’s the pores opening that has anything to do with it directly or indirectly.”

The researchers continue to advance the technique and are seeking external funding, according to the release, and eventually expect to bring it to the clinical trial stage.

See the release.

Top headlines from the Health Care Report…

— Marquette University’s Dr. Murray Blackmore will use a $3.6 million federal award to advance the field of spinal cord injury treatment, the university announced.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

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— Wisconsin communities with high levels of PFAS contamination could have a new avenue for funding after the EPA designated the “forever chemicals” as hazardous substances.

Two Wisconsin communities — the towns of Stella and Peshtigo — are being evaluated for funding. However, it could take as long as decades to determine their eligibility and remediate contamination under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or “Superfund Law,” according to an Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson.

The announcement comes as state leaders are deadlocked over how to use the $125 million set aside in the state budget to combat forever chemicals after Dem Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a GOP plan to use the money.

Midwest Environmental Advocates staff attorney Rob Lee told WisPolitics the possible federal funding isn’t a “cure-all,” noting only sites that reach a high threshold of contamination are eligible. But it could help DNR turn its attention to other sites, he said.

“We have 138 known PFAS-contaminated sites here in Wisconsin, and probably only a handful of them may qualify for the national priorities list,” Lee said. “But qualifying in those communities right will be very important overall, because it allows DNR to focus on some of the … less contaminated or risky sites and get those cleaned up too.”

The state already has broad authority to respond to contamination quickly, he added, citing the Spills Law that requires those who cause hazardous contamination to immediately report it and remediate.

The new designation opens up sites contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) to funding under the Superfund Law. The 1980 law created a tax on chemical and petroleum agencies to set aside funding for cleaning up abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites, such as landfills, manufacturing facilities, processing plants and mining sites.

See the full story in the latest WisPolitics Friday Report.

— A company that aims to use technology to increase efficiency at airports won the 12th annual Madison College Challenge.

D-Namic Aircraft Services was founded by Mauricio Zuleta, who beat out four other finalists to win $5,000 during the competition. It was held last week at Madison College’s Truax Campus.

“This feels great. I’m proud that this type of technology can be based here in Madison with all our partners and the local industry,” said Zuleta, a former pilot with the Colombian Aerospace Force. “I know our technology will have a huge impact on the economy.”

LionSpirit Skincare placed second, which came with a $3,000 prize, and Impact Academy took third, receiving $2,000.

Participants were evaluated by judges from Madison Gas & Electric, Summit Credit Union, Clearly Building Corp., Findorff and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

See more at Madison Startups.

— The DNR has published its 2024 Wisconsin Fishing Report, offering details on season dates and forecasts for specific species.

Sport fishing in Wisconsin generates more than $2 billion in economic activity per year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Department of Natural Resources’ report includes detailed breakdowns for where to find various species of fish, including walleye, muskellunge, smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, catfish and others. It has an identification guide for differentiating between similar-looking fish, and spotlights both threatened and invasive species.

Plus, the report spotlights a number of urban and community-based fishing opportunities as well as scientific endeavors focused on underwater ecosystems.

“This annual fishing report is a great resource to learn what the fisheries staff at the DNR have been doing,” said Justine Hasz, director of the DNR Fisheries Management Bureau.

See the release and the report.

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