Rhinovirus

dreamstime_12425900 dreamstime_5548295
Rhinoviruses are small positive-sense, non-enveloped RNA viruses that are the major cause of upper respiratory infection, i.e. the common cold, in all age groups. The incubation period is 2 to 3 days and acute symptoms last for 3 to 7 days. The common cold costs the U.S. economy $40 billion a year in treatments and lost workdays. There are approximately 500 million colds each year in the U.S. Cold suffers visit their physician more than 100 million times a year at a cost of at least $7.7 billion. The biggest economic cost is with lost workdays costing $22.5 billion. In addition, the multitude of physician visits and prescribing of antibiotics, which are not effective against viral agents, is problematic exacerbating the development of antibiotic resistant pathogens. Rhinoviruses enter cells via attachment to Intracellular Adhesion Molecule –1 (ICAM-1). The viral capsid is made up of capsid subunits VP1, VP2, and VP3 proteins. These proteins form a canyon region that binds the ICAM-1 receptor.

The difficulty with generating vaccines or therapeutic antibodies against rhinoviruses is that there are 102 accepted, classified serotypes with potentially more that have yet to be classified. Despite the multitude of serotypes, all rhinoviruses interact with ICAM-1 implying some conserved functional motif that is not targetable via conventional approaches. BMI’s Immune Dampening and Refocusing Technology can address the multiple serotype issue such that broadly reactive immune responses and therapeutic antibodies can be made. BMI’s rhinovirus program parallels its veterinary program in Foot and Mouth Disease Virus, a highly related picornavirus.

Search Site

Virus Developments

BMI is developing an AIDS vaccine and applying its Immune Dampening and Refocusing Technology to the outer HIV envelope glycoprotein gp120/gp41, which is the main mediator of viral fusion and entry with host receptors CD4 and chemokine receptors CCR5 and/or CXCR4.

The Latest Technology

Biological Mimetics, Inc. (“BMI”) was formed to commercialize innovative pharmaceutical products that will improve the quality of life and overall state of public health by combating resistant and emerging diseases in human and veterinary medicine. Our mission philosophy is to remain a creative and innovative biotechnology firm dedicated to improving the quality of life and overall state of public health through the application of novel technologies for the development and commercialization of human and veterinary biologics to address a long list of hitherto intractable disease targets involving viruses, bacteria, parasites, and cancer.

Research & Development

dreamstime_1923964Respiratory disease accounts for an estimated 75 to 80% of all acute morbidity in the U.S. population and approximately 80% of these are due to viruses. The major causes of acute respiratory disease include influenza virus, rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, and respiratory coronavirus. BMI’s vaccine efforts are focused on influenza virus and rhinovirus.
Learn more:  Influenza Virus  | Rhinovirus

Company News

blk triangleJune 2011: BMI announces collaborative research agreement with Crucell-BV for development of a universal influenza vaccine
blk triangleNov. 2010: BMI announces collaborative research agreement with GSK-Biologicals for development of an immune refocused vaccine for respiratory infection
blk triangleSept 2010: BMI is awarded a Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Award
blk triangleJune 2010: BMI is awarded a Small Business Innovative Research Grant from the NIH for vaccine development
blk triangleNov. 2009: BMI is a prime contractor in the Fundamentals of Biology Program of DARPA/DSO for the study of modularity in biological systems
blk triangleMay 2008: BMI is awarded a subcontract for HIV vaccine development through the Henry M Jackson Institute for the Advancement of Military Medicine.
blk triangleJuly 2007: BMI is awarded a subcontract from DARPA through Rice University to study the evolution of pathogens
blk triangleJune 2007: BMI is awarded a subcontract from DARPA through VaxDesign (Orlando, Florida) to study immunogenicity of influenza