RMT Podcast #14 – Dr. Malla Padidam and David Smith, JD

In podcast #14 we’ll meet two more researchers who visited Pittsburgh for the 2006 Regenerate World Congress.

Dr. Malla Padidam of the biotech company RheoGene (now merged with Intrexon Corporation) describes their gene switch, a molecule that can turn a gene on or off at a particular time to precisely guide the growth of transplanted tissues or cells. Another RheoGene product uses engineered enzymes that recognize certain sequences of DNA, so that when a scientist introduces a new gene it inserts into just one location. This is an improvement over current genetic engineering technology that can’t control where in a chromosome a gene inserts itself, possibly hindering whether or not it functions.

David S. Smith of the Pittsburgh office of Pepper Hamilton LLP is a corporate lawyer who helps scientists transform their work from laboratory investigations into clinical products. Mr. Smith focuses on intellectual property transactions, regulatory issues, and licensing. His corporate practice is concentrated in the organization, financing and growth of life sciences companies, and he is an authority on the legal issues surrounding the use of human biological materials. Mr. Smith also is the co-founder and co-chair of the ETG Executive Forum, an annual workshop on the commercialization of engineered tissue products and regenerative therapies, and he co-authors a column on FDA regulatory initiatives that appears monthly in Genetic Engineering News.

Hosts Leah Kauffman and John Murphy. Interview by Leah Kauffman.

For more information about the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, visit:

McGowan Institute Research Site
McGowan Institute Patient Site
McGowan Institute on Facebook

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
RMT Podcast #14 - Dr. Malla Padidam and David Smith, JD
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