Mirus Bio Explained

Mirus Bio LLC (formerly Mirus Bio Corporation), develops and manufactures transfection reagents, electroporation solutions and related products for life science research.

History

Mirus Corporation was founded in Madison, Wisconsin in 1995 by three University of Wisconsin - Madison scientists: Jon A. Wolff, James E. Hagstrom and Vladimir G. Budker.^[1] Mirus focused on developing innovative non-viral gene delivery technologies for gene therapy applications. These innovations also served as the basis for the company's transfection formulations and nucleic acid labeling and conjugation chemistries.

Mirus researchers published several groundbreaking achievements including: the first demonstrations that plasmid DNA could be effectively delivered to the rodent liver and skeletal muscle cells using rapid intravascular injections;^{[2] [3]} the first demonstration that ‘caged’ DNA-containing nanoparticles are resistant to aggregation under physiologic salt conditions;^[4] the first demonstration of siRNA-mediated knockdown of an endogenously expressed gene in mice;^[5] development of low-toxicity, DNA-containing nanoparticles for gene delivery to the lungs;^[6] development of a clinically viable, high efficiency method for delivering plasmid DNA into mammalian skeletal muscle;^[7] development of a genetic immunization method for research animals;^[8] development of a technology for targeted delivery of siRNA to mouse liver;^[9] new chemistries for transfection;^[10] development of a non-viral vector providing sustained liver-specific transgene expression for more than one year.^[11]

In 2008 the Therapeutics Division was acquired by Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. Mirus’ former Research Tools Division remains an independent entity now known as Mirus Bio LLC.

Notes and References

1. Web site: UW biotech spinoff Mirus Bio celebrates two decades in business . 2022-03-22 . news.wisc.edu . en-US.
2. Budker V, Zhang G, Knechtle S, Wolff JA. Naked DNA delivered intraportally expresses efficiently in hepatocytes. Gene Ther. 1996 Jul;3(7):593-8.
3. Budker VG, Zhang G, Danko I, Williams P, Wolff J. The efficient expression of intravascularly delivered DNA in rat muscle. Gene Ther 1998 5: 272–276.
4. Trubetskoy VS, Loomis A, Slattum PM, Hagstrom JE, Budker VG, Wolff JA. Caged DNA does not aggregate in high ionic strength solutions. Bioconjug Chem. 1999 Jul-Aug;10(4):624-8.
5. Lewis DL, Hagstrom JE, Loomis AG, Wolff JA, Herweijer H. Efficient delivery of siRNA for inhibition of gene expression in postnatal mice. Nat Genet. 32:107, 2002.
6. Trubetskoy VS, Wong SC, Subbotin V, Budker VG, Loomis A, Hagstrom JE, Wolff JA. Recharging cationic DNA complexes with highly charged polyanions for in vitro and in vivo gene delivery. Gene Ther. 2003 Feb;10(3):261-71.
7. Hagstrom JE, Hegge J, Zhang G, Noble M, Budker V, Lewis DL, Herweijer H, Wolff JA. A facile nonviral method for delivering genes and siRNAs to skeletal muscle of mammalian limbs. Mol Ther. 2004 Aug;10(2):386-98.
8. Bates MK, Zhang G, Sebestyen MG, Neal ZC, Wolff JA, Herweijer H. Genetic immunization for antibody generation in research animals by intravenous delivery of plasmid DNA. Biotechniques. 2006 Feb;40(2):199-208.
9. Rozema DB, Lewis DL, Wakefield DH, Wong SC, Klein JJ, Roesch PL, Bertin SL, Reppen TW, Chu Q, Blokhin AV, Hagstrom JE, Wolff JA. Dynamic PolyConjugates for targeted in vivo delivery of siRNA to hepatocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 7 August 2007: 104(32): 12982–7.
10. Wakefield DH, Klein JJ, Wolff JA, Rozema DB. Membrane activity and transfection ability of amphipathic polycations as a function of alkyl group size. Bioconjug Chem. 2005 Sep-Oct;16(5):1204-8.
11. Wooddell C, Reppen T, Wolff, JA, Herweijer H. Sustained liver-specific transgene expression from the albumin promoter in mice following hydrodynamic plasmid DNA delivery. J Gene Med10:551, 2008.