from normal cells to aid in diagnosis and
treatment. One of Anogen’s greatest re-
sources is its antibody/cell “bank,” which
is one of the largest in Canada. Containing
a wide source of unique antibodies that
are able to recognize various inflammatory
and infectious factors, these antibodies
could eventually be used in the treatment
of infectious diseases, cancer and autoim-
mune diseases.
The company’s current and main project
revolves around the creation of a new
biodefense strategy to prevent cytokine
storms, potentially fatal immune reactions
that can cause significant damage to the
body’s tissues and organs and, in some
cases, lead to death. When people con-
tract an infection, their immune systems
produce cytokines to treat the infection,
Dr. Ye explained. But in some cases, the
immune system loses control and over-
produces cytokines, and the result can be
worse than the initial infection.
A cytokine storm can occur in response to
a number of infections that afflict the hu-
man population, including H1N1 flu, sep-
sis, smallpox, Ebola and avian influenza.
Surprisingly, healthy young adults may be
at greater risk than others because their
strong immune systems spark the cyto-
kine storm. Anogen’s strategy is two-fold:
provide immunity against the initial dis-
ease and create a therapy that can neu-
tralize the body’s exaggerated immune re-
sponse. Not only is this important in the
case of infectious diseases, but it is also
90 business elite canada
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JULY 2015
