Anthony Harrelson - Innovative Advancements in Biopharmaceutical Technology
Anthony Harrelson earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology and an MBA in finance. He is the founder and CEO of White Oak Industries a biopharmaceutical company. Over the past several years, he and his research team have focused on the development of advanced antiviral treatment options for some of the most dangerous viruses in the world. He hopes to combine his science and business backgrounds to commercialize a new way to treat HIV and Ebola. Currently, Ebola is effecting a big part of the population in West Africa and HIV researchers say that 187,000 new infections occur every year with 51,000 of them in the United States. White Oak Industries is a pioneer in emerging infections and biodefense research. Anthony Harrelson has partnered his company with educational labs and other facilities to help his team develop immunotherapies based on his research. Dr. Harrelson has two patents pending for these treatments. The treatments work by reprogramming the body’s immune system to target certain cells infected by a virus, as well as the viruses themselves. Dr. Harrelson says that his treatments reprogram the virus’s RNA strand with a method called RNA interference or RNAi. RNA interference is a natural process that cells use to silence unwanted or harmful genes. The treatment also reprograms the body’s dendritic cells, to cause the immune system to attack specific viral cells everywhere in the body. Dendritic cells are the generals of the immune system. Their main function is to process antigen material and present it on the cell surface to the T cells of the immune system. Simply put, they flag dangerous foreign particles for the T cells and antibodies to destroy. The most deadly viruses, including HIV and Ebola, can hide in the body’s tissues, staying away from the immune system. Dr. Harrelson hopes that when finished, his treatment will eradicate the virus everywhere in the body. Anthony Harrelson says that viruses mutate slightly when they enter a new host’s body. This is why they can be so difficult to eradicate. The type of immunotherapy that Dr. Harrelson hopes to develop will proliferate throughout the entire body and use the body’s natural defenses to fight the virus on all fronts simultaneously. This treatment also prevents viruses from becoming drug resistant. Over time, viruses treated with typical drugs can evolve resistances to them, making them all the more dangerous. Dr. Harrelson hopes that his treatments will change the world. Anthony Harrelson says he is proud the company’s leading position in the global field of RNAi drug development and looks forward to future investment opportunities and collaborations.