Genetics script

For more information regarding this feature, contact George Stamatis by sending e-mail to gxs18@po.cwru.edu or calling 1-800-368-CWRU.

GENETICALLY LOWERING CHOLESTEROL (TRT 2:24)

ANCHOR LEAD: MEDICAL RESEARCHERS AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY USED D-N-A THERAPY TO LOWER DANGEROUS LEVELS OF HARMFUL L-D-L CHOLESTEROL IN LAB STUDIES, AND SAY THE SAME METHOD COULD TREAT A VARIETY OF HEALTH CONDITIONS. MORE IN THIS REPORT:

VIDEO (misc. B-roll)

VOICEOVER: THIS RABBIT'S ABNORMALLY HIGH CHOLESTEROL LEVEL WAS DRAMATICALLY LOWERED WITH A SINGLE INJECTION OF A HIGHLY CONDENSED D-N-A PROTEIN COMPLEX THAT BOOSTS THE ABILITY OF THE LIVER TO METABOLIZE CHOLESTEROL. THE TECHNIQUE IS GENE THERAPY, AND RESEARCHERS AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY HAVE USED IT TO STIMULATE THE SYNTHESIS OF RECEPTORS OF LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS OR L-D-L. THE RESULTING INCREASE IN L-D-L RECEPTORS ALLOWS THE LIVER TO RECOGNIZE UNWANTED CHOLESTEROL, AND REMOVE IT FROM THE BLOOD. IN ORDER TO IMPROVE CELL ACCEPTANCE OF NEW D-N-A, CWRU SCIENTISTS HAD TO COMPACT IT INTO A SMALL, VIRUS-LIKE SHAPE, TAGGED WITH A MOLECULE THAT DIRECTS IT TO CELLS IN THE LIVER WHERE IT WORKS FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD. JOSE CARLOS PERALES HELPED GIVE THE D-N-A ITS NEW SHAPE.

SOT & SUGGESTED SUPER: JOSE CARLOS PERALES, CWRU, GENETICS RESEARCHER

(OUTCUE: "whole concept relies on.") (0:14)

VOICEOVER: DOCTOR RICHARD HANSON LEADS THE RESEARCH TEAM THAT WAS ABLE TO GENETICALLY LOWER CHOLESTEROL. HANSON BELIEVES THAT ENGINEERED D-N-A COULD BE DELIVERED LIKE A DRUG WHEN TREATING A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS.

SOT & SUGGESTED SUPER: RICHARD HANSON, CHAIRMAN AND PROFESSOR OF BIOCHEMISTRY, CWRU, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

(OUTCUE: "using the proceedure.") (0:43)

VIDEO (misc. B-roll)

VOICEOVER: ALTHOUGH NO HUMAN D-N-A, CHOLESTEROL TESTING HAS TAKEN PLACE, CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS WITH DELIVERING D-N-A TO CELLS AND IMPROVING ITS EFFECT, HAS TAKEN SCIENTISTS MUCH CLOSER TO THAT POSSIBILITY.

THIS IS DAVE NAROSNY REPORTING FROM CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, CLEVELAND.

-CWRU-