POSSIBLE TREATMENT FOR MD COMPLICATIONSA research group at the University of Wisconsin, Madison,reported an experiment that could open the door to a genetherapy treatment for the cardiac complications of musculardystrophy. The team, led by Jon Wolff, said it successfullyinserted three marker genes into the heart muscle of rats.

The proteins produced by the genes were detected in the ratsonly after they were treated with an immune-suppressingdrug. This suggests that the rats' immune systems wereattacking the foreign proteins. The team last year reported thesuccessful insertion of genes into rat skeletal muscle.

SYNERGEN STOCK CONTINUES RISE

The stock of Synergen Corp. of Boulder, Colo., climbed againTuesday, gaining 25 cents a share to close at $27.75. The stock(NASDAQ:SYGN) has risen $10.50 a share since Dec. 31.

It rose $1 a share on Monday after Eli Lilly & Co. was reportedto have sold 537,900 Synergen shares, or 5 percent of thestock, to institutions. E.M. Warburg Pincus & Co. announced Jan.30 distribution of 1.3 million Synergen shares to investors inits venture capital funds.

DU PONT, DNAP FORM CANOLA OIL VENTURE

Du Pont of Wilmington, Del., and DNA Plant Technology Corp.(NASDAQ:DNAP) of Cinnaminson, N.J., said Tuesday that theyformed InterMountain Canola Co. as a joint venture to developand market specially bred types of canola oil.

InterMountain Canola is to contract with farmers to grow newcanola plant varieties, DNAP said. InterMountain will alsoarrange for the contract crushing and refining of the oil andmarket it to food processors.

Du Pont and DNAP in 1989 formed FreshWorld, a joint ventureto develop and market VegiSnax, a vegetable snack.

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.