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Dr. Eric B. Kmiec

Lab: 270 DBI

Mailing address:
Delaware Biotechnology Institute
Delaware Technology Park
15 Innovation Way
Newark DE, 19711

Phone: (302) 831-3420
Fax: (302) 831-3427
E-mail: ekmiec@udel.edu

Education

B.A.: Rutgers University
M.S.: Southern Illinois University
Ph.D.: University of Florida School of Medicine

 

Hetal

 

Hetal Parekh-Olmedo

Lab Manager/Research Associate

Mechanism of gene repair in human cells; genetic alteration of the genomic instability associated with Huntington's Disease.

Mailing address:
Delaware Biotechnology Institute
Delaware Technology Park
15 Innovation Way
Newark DE, 19711

Phone: (302) 831-3422

E-mail: hparekh@udel.edu

Education

B.S.: Holy Family University

 

 

 

Recent Graduates

Li Liu (2005)                      Postdoctoral Fellow                  Scientist, NIH

Luciana Ferrara (2006) Postdoctoral Fellow     Scientist, Arqule Biotech

Erin Brachman (2005)              Graduate Student                      HHMI Fellow, Rockefeller                                                                                                       University

Miya Drury (2006)                   Graduate Student                      NIH Postdoctoral Fellow,                                                                                                         Oregon State University

Katie Maguire (2007)               Graduate Student                      Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford                                                                                       University

 

 

Selected Publications

Liu L, Katie K. Maguire, and Kmiec EB (2004) Engineering the eukaryotic recombinase Rad51 increases the frequency of gene repair in vivo. Nucl. Acids Res. 32, 2093-2101.
van Brabant A, Williams JK, Parekh-Olmedo H, and Kmiec EB (2004) Gene editing of a human gene in yeast artificial chromosomes using modified single-stranded DNA and dual targeting. The Pharmacogenomics Journal. 4, 175-183.
Brachman E and Kmiec EB (2004) DNA replication impacts repair frequency and transcription strand bias in targeted nucleotide exchange. J. Cell Science. 117(17), 3867-3874.
Luciana F, Parekh-Olmedo H, Kmiec EB (2004) DNA damage increases the frequency of gene repair in mammalian cells. Experimental Cell Research. 300(1), 170-179.
Luciana F, Kmiec EB (2004) Camptothecin enhances the frequency of oligonucleotide-directed gene repair in mammalian cells by inducing DNA damage and activating homologous recombination. Nucleic Acids Research. 32(17), 5239-5248.
Drury M and Kmiec EB (2004) Double displacement loops (double d-loops) are a more active template for gene repair activity. Oligonucleotides 14(4), 274-286.

Hu Y, Parekh-Olmedo H, Drury M, Skogen M and Kmiec EB (2005) Reaction parameters of targeted gene repair in mammalian cells. Molecular Biotechnology 29, 197-210.
Brachman E and Kmiec EB (2005) Gene repair in mammalian cells is stimulated by the elongation of S phase and transient stalling of replication forks. DNA Repair 4, 445-457.

Parekh-Olmedo H, Ferrara L and Kmiec EB (2005) Progress and Prospects: targeted gene repair. Gene Therapy 12, 639-646.

Drury M, Skogen M and Kmiec EB (2005) A tolerance of DNA heterology in the mammalian targeted gene repair reaction. Oligonucleotides 15(3):155-171.

Engstrom J and Kmiec EB (2005) Caffeine elevates and stabilizes gene repair efficiencies in mammalian cells. Gene Therapy and Molecular Biology 9: 445-456.

Schwartz T and Kmiec EB (2005) Using methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) to stimulate targeted gene repair activity in mammalian cells. Gene Therapy and Molecular Biology 9: 193-202.

Ferrara L and Kmiec EB (2006) Targeted gene repair activates Chk1 and Chk2 and stalls replication in corrected cells. DNA Repair (Amst). 2006 Apr 8;5(4):422-31. Epub 2006 Jan 18.

Skogen M, Roth J, Parekh-Olmedo H and Kmiec EB (2006) Short G-rich oligonucleotides as a therapeutic for Huntington’s Disease (HD). BMC Neuroscience Oct 2;7:65.

Schwartz T and Kmiec EB (2007) Reduction of gene repair by selenomethionine with the use of single-stranded oligonucleotides. BMC Molecular Biology Jan 26;8:7.

Ferrara L, Engstrom J, Schwartz T, Parekh-Olmedo H and Kmiec EB (2007) Recovery of corrected cells after initiation of the targeted gene repair reaction. DNA Repair (Amst). Jun 8; [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 17560837 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher].

Maguire K and Kmiec EB (2007) Multiple roles for MSH2 in the repair of a deletion mutation directed by modified single-stranded oligonucleotides. Gene Jan 15;386(1-2):107-14. Epub 2006 Aug 26.

Engstrom J and Kmiec EB (2007) Manipulation of S phase progression can counteract cell cycle arrest of corrected cells during the oligonucleotide-directed gene repair reaction. BMC Molecular Biology. Feb 6;8:9.  PMID: 17284323 [PubMed - in process].

 

 

 

Current Projects

  • Mechanism of oligonucleotide-directed gene repair - Using a genetic readout system and cell free extracts from human and plant cells, the molecular and biochemical events underlying gene repair are being studied in yeast, bacteria and mammalian cells.
  • Development of DNA base therapeutics for Huntington's Disease - A cell-based assay system is being employed to explore ways to prevent the aggregation activity of the Huntington protein.
  • Gene therapy for inherited disorders – Primary patient cells are being used to test the efficacy of gene editing for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Muscular Atrophy.
  • Collaborative cancer research – Introduction of oligonucleotides that form G-quartet conformations, to induce apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells.

Research Group

Darlise M. DiMatteo – Research Associate (B.A. University of Dealware).  Gene editing as a therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Carly Falgowksi – Research Specialist (B.S. College of William and Mary).  Gene correction in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Michael Skogen – Research Technician (M.S. University of Delaware).  Mechanism of apoptosis in cancer cells by G-rich oligonucleotides.

Takayuki Suzuki, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Researcher (Ph.D. Nagoya University).  Gene editing as a therapy for Muscular Dystrophy, oligonucleotide delivery and increasing gene repair efficiency in mouse models.

Tim Schwartz – Graduate Student (B.S. Gettysburg College).  Targeted repair in mammalian cells and cancer gene therapy.

Julia Engstrom – Graduate Student (B.S. University of Delaware).  Gene targeting and mechanism of gene repair in disease models.

Jennifer Roth – Graduate Student (B.S. Susquehanna University).  DNA damage pathways and genetic events surrounding the expression of mutant huntingtin protein.

Kerry Falgowksi – graduate Student (B.S. University fo South Caroline at Chapel Hill).  C. elegans as a model system for treatment of muscular dystrophy.

Sarah Yerkes – Graduate Student (B.S. University of Delaware).  Use of oligonucleotides as a therapeutic in Huntington’s Disease and study of the interaction of G-rich oligonucleotides with the huntingtin protein.

Stephanie Callahan – Undergraduate Student (University of Delaware).  Gene editing as a treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Melissa Warriner – Undergraduate Student (University of Delaware).  Microarray analysis of treated esophageal cancer cells.