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Revolutionary Aptamer-Based Pathogen Technology from Zentek Unveils Rapid and Inexpensive Pathogen Detection Capabilities

A Canadian company and their laboratory partner have developed a low cost simple and much faster way to better detect pathogens causing infections in our bodies. In recent weeks the team found a way to dramatically improve the effectiveness of this technology, which is really a medical breakthrough you won’t likely see on the news, at least not just yet. Their technology uses ‘aptamer’ based diagnostics from a simple saliva test.

What is an aptamer?

Aptamers are short sequences of artificial DNA, RNA, XNA, or peptide that bind a specific target molecule or family of target molecules. In the case of today’s company, they are using single-stranded DNA molecules capable of binding specifically with target proteins on the surface of pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 to detect if a person has COVID-19 or potentially other pathogens.

Zentek Ltd.

Zentek Ltd. (NASDAQ: ZTEK | TSXV: ZEN) (“Zentek”) is a certified graphene technology company focused on the research, development and commercialization of graphene-based novel products, typically using nanotechnology.

Zentek’s aptamer-enabled Pathogen Detection Technology is a low-cost, rapid, saliva testing, scalable technology initially to be used for COVID-19 testing, but can be adapted to detect other pathogens. Zentek has exclusive worldwide rights to commercialize their COVID-19 antigen testing aptamer-enabled technology. The technology is being developed by Zentek and their technology partners at McMaster University Li Lab, led by Dr. Yingfu Li.

Zentek’s collaboration with McMaster University extends beyond its exclusive license and now encompasses all aptamer and DNAzyme uses, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and neutralization agents, not limited solely to SARS-CoV-2 applications.

Aptamer technology breakthrough, up to 250 times increase

Zentek recently announced a breakthrough in the team’s aptamer-enabled technology, stating:

“Dr. Yingfu Li and his team at the Li Lab have developed a novel aptamer technology that increases the binding affinity of aptamers by up to 250 times. The increased binding affinity enhances the limits of detection for aptamer-based diagnostics. In addition, the enhanced binding affinity may lead to the successful adaptation of these same aptamers for new therapeutic and prophylactic treatments. Binding affinity is a key metric in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications.”

Understandably most people will not understand the implications of what is going on here, so I will spell it out. Effective Aptamer-based pathogen technology opens up a whole new potential to ‘rapidly and cheaply’ detect pathogens. In time this can be expanded to potentially detect other markers of disease in the body. Furthermore, it has the potential to more effectively treat diseases. But that’s the next chapter, best discussed another time and assuming Zentek continues down that pathway.

Dr. Yingfu Li recently stated:

The novel aptamer technology platform developed in my lab at McMaster University is demonstrating a robust increase in binding affinity to every aptamer we have tried so far. Combining this technology with aptamers that have high specificity has created a very exciting potential for new therapeutics and diagnostics. The enhanced binding affinity from these new aptamers has led to consistent and successful in vitro testing in my lab and the lab of Dr. Leyla Soleymani for diagnostic applications, and more recently, with in vivo testing in the lab of Dr. Matthew Miller for therapeutic applications. These early results are very exciting, and we look forward to future work that applies the technology to other potential therapeutic and diagnostic targets.

Note: Bold emphasis by the author.

The advantages of Zentek’s aptamer technology for detecting Covid-19 or potentially other pathogens

Source: Zentek website

The potential for aptamer-based disease detection is truly remarkable. There is also potential one day that aptamers can be used to much more precisely target disease treatment or prevention in the body.

Greg Fenton, CEO of Zentek commented:

Initially, we were working to develop aptamers for diagnostic purposes……Dr Li’s initial breakthrough was important for diagnostic purposes, and now early testing points to the potential to create new therapeutics and prophylactics. I can’t emphasize enough how unexpected these results were to our team and how significant this development is if it is confirmed through future testing.

For more details, investors can watch the recent Zentek CEO interview here.

Zentek is now at the stage of commercializing their aptamer-enabled technology stating that they are “commercial prototyping readiness, and working with Halteres Associates, a world-leading bioscience consultancy, to assist us in our commercialization process.

Zentek’s product pipeline

Source: Zentek company presentation

Closing remarks

There is no more exciting company than Zentek. Apart from their aptamer technology Zentek has many other applications for their graphene nanotechnology including: ZENGuard™ (a graphene coating applied to PPE to prevent Covid and other infections; also used for air filtration (HVAC) systems), icephobics (to prevent ice build up on planes etc), ZENArmor (corrosion resistance), fuel additives (helping reduce carbon emissions), Graphene-wrapped silicon anodes, conductive inks, intumescent coatings, and anti-inflammatory therapies.

Furthermore, Zentek makes their own graphene oxide at their Guelph facility and owns the Albany Graphite Deposit (planned to be spun out).

Zentek Ltd. trades on a market cap of C$216 million. With commercialization of ZENGuard™ underway and Zentek’s aptamer technology potentially to follow soon, Zentek is at a great stage to rapidly grow from here. Stay tuned in 2023 to see how Zentek performs and if they can successfully start to monetize their technology.




Zentek’s Breakthrough Aptamer Platform Shows Promise in Fighting COVID-19

In a recent interview conducted by Tracy Weslosky of InvestorIntel, Greg Fenton, the CEO & Director of Zentek Ltd. (NASDAQ: ZTEK | TSXV: ZEN), unveiled some thrilling developments surrounding the company’s revolutionary aptamer platform. With an exclusive global license from McMaster University, this groundbreaking platform has demonstrated remarkable success in pre-clinical animal model tests as a potential prophylactic or therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Spearheaded by Dr. Yingfu Li’s team at McMaster, this platform harnesses a series of synthetic molecules known as aptamers, exhibiting a high affinity for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

During the pre-clinical trials, groups of mice were treated with either the aptamer developed by Dr. Li’s team or a commercial monoclonal antibody before exposure to SARS-CoV-2. The outcomes were nothing short of impressive. Mice treated with the aptamer displayed minimal weight loss and showed no detectable viral burden in their lungs, while the control group experienced significant weight loss and a high lung viral load. Notably, the aptamers showcased efficacy on par with commercial monoclonal antibodies, effectively neutralizing the virus both in vitro and in vivo.

According to Greg, Dr. Li envisions the aptamer platform going beyond the treatment and prevention of current SARS-CoV-2 variants. The platform holds the potential to be a game-changer in the ongoing battle against COVID-19, even as new variants continue to emerge worldwide. This could mark a significant step forward in combatting the ever-evolving nature of the virus.

In the interview, Greg explains how aptamers have been proven to possess a favorable safety profile, as they are constructed from synthetic single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules using the same building blocks as human DNA or RNA. Greg Fenton expressed that the pre-clinical test results exceeded expectations, and the encouraging safety profile of aptamer-based therapeutics might accelerate the path to commercialization. This offers hope for faster and safer development of potential treatments and preventatives for COVID-19.

Zentek’s collaboration with McMaster University extends beyond its exclusive license, now encompassing all aptamer and DNAzyme uses, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and neutralization agents, not limited solely to SARS-CoV-2 applications. This expansion hints at the broader potential of the aptamer platform in addressing various medical challenges beyond COVID-19, promising exciting developments in the medical field.

Following these promising pre-clinical results, Zentek is actively working on formulating a comprehensive pre-clinical plan to develop a COVID-19 therapeutic or prophylactic based on Dr. Li’s aptamers. This represents a significant stride forward in the potential treatment and prevention of COVID-19, offering hope for effective solutions in the ongoing pandemic.

The collaborative effort between Zentek and McMaster University has led to a game-changing aptamer platform demonstrating impressive efficacy in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 during pre-clinical trials. With the potential to serve as a therapeutic or prophylactic for COVID-19 and future variants, the aptamers shine a ray of hope in the global fight against the pandemic. The expanded license agreement opens doors for innovative applications in diagnostics and therapeutics, opening up possibilities for further advancements in medical science.

However, it is crucial to note that Zentek maintains caution and does not claim to have a product that can entirely eliminate, cure, or contain COVID-19 at this stage. Nevertheless, the progress achieved so far signifies a positive step in the race to combat this global health crisis. As further developments unfold, the world eagerly awaits the potential impact of Zentek’s aptamer platform in transforming the landscape of COVID-19 treatment and prevention. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as this remarkable journey continues to unfold.

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About Zentek Ltd.

Zentek is an ISO 13485:2016 certified graphene technology company focused on the research, development and commercialization of graphene-based novel products seeking to give the Company’s commercial partners a competitive advantage by making their products better, safer, and greener.

Zentek’s patented technology platform ZenGUARD™, is shown to have 99% anti-microbial activity and to significantly increase the bacterial and viral filtration efficiency of both surgical masks and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems. Zentek’s ZenGUARD™ production facility is located in Guelph, Ontario. Zentek’s patent pending ZenARMOR™ technology platform is focused on corrosion protection applications.

To know more about Zentek Ltd., click here

Disclaimer: Zentek Ltd. is an advertorial member of InvestorIntel Corp.

This interview, which was produced by InvestorIntel Corp., (IIC), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all the material information concerning the “Company” being interviewed. IIC offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of the management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.

Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken, as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on Sedar.com and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.

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Will Sixth Wave help prevent a fourth wave?

Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. (CSE: SIXW | OTCQB: ATURF) is a nanotechnology company focused on extraction and detection of target substances at the molecular level. Their products can be very cost effective and potentially eliminate human error from the testing or measurement process. These advantages are derived from the application of patented technologies in the highly specialized field of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs).

Sounds pretty technical so what does that mean to you and me? As we battle a third wave of COVID-19 we are crossing our fingers and hoping vaccines will save the day. Especially given, that for all the talk about rapid testing, we have yet to see an effective, accurate test used in a broad setting to help identify or track the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. And who knows if all the variants that are popping up will continue to be effectively subdued by existing vaccines.

Enter Sixth Wave and their patent pending Accelerated Molecular Imprinted Polymers (AMIPs™) technology. Last week the company announced it has successfully demonstrated colorimetric detection of SARS-CoV-2. Colorimetric detection is a method of identifying the presence of a target substance within a test sample by means of color. For example, Green = COVID-19, Blue = Influenza, Red = Rhinovirus. And yes, the test could potentially identify multiple viruses in a single pass with different colors for each. Even better, the AMIPs™ test does not require the use of biological materials which have the potential to result in errors (false positive or false negative). As well, the methodology utilized by AMIPs™ should be more robust in its ability to detect variants because the mechanism used to capture and immobilize the virus is not keyed to a specific Antigen-Antibody relationship. Lastly, this robust, reliable product should result in a lower cost, either to an individual requiring a test or a government trying to get a handle on this annoyingly resilient virus.

Imagine kids going back to school and they all have a mask utilizing Sixth Wave technology. All you need to do is check each student’s mask and if it’s green the child gets sent home otherwise they are good to go until the next day. Now what if everyone had a mask, or some other device with AMIPs™ technology, then everyone could get back to going to sporting events, concerts or weddings. Even air travel and cruise ships would be able to operate relatively seamlessly based on the individual not being green, so to speak. This could be the solution that gets us back to a semblance of normal.

Unfortunately, as good as this all sounds, Sixth Wave isn’t the answer to all our problems just yet. Next steps include building on this initial validation toward the development of a colorimetric sensor for a potentially wide range of rapid Virus detection devices using AMIPs™. As well, the Company is proposing to create a comprehensive library of molecular imprints for other viral pathogens and variants. This AMIP library will be capable of being licensed for all manner of rapid detection test (RDT) devices and wearables, such as a smart mask, smart clothing and PPE applications, airborne sensors, Breathalyzers, and others. The groundwork has been laid but it remains to be seen if the company can capitalize on its efforts.

Nevertheless, the company has its Affinity™ System which uses MIPs to deliver an innovative purification solution to the cannabis market. First revenue from cannabinoid extraction is expected in Q1/21. As well there is the IXOS product, a line of extraction polymers formulated for deployment in the gold mining industry for the extraction of gold from cyanide leach solutions. Sixth Wave is undertaking pilot plant testing of IXOS technology at a major gold producer (Kinross Gold Corporation). The company recently raised $6M via a private placement which should give them enough cash to continue developing and innovating its product base for another 6 months, give or take. It will be interesting to see if the company can start generating revenue to reduce the cash burn and advance all these exciting prospects.