Aug. 7, 2000--ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARIA - news) today reported, in a paper published in the August 4, 2000 issue of Cell, that an important new mechanism for the transport of proteins within cells has been discovered using its proprietary gene regulation technology, known as Regulated Accumulation of Proteins for Immediate Delivery (RAPID(TM)).
The paper by Volchuk et al., ``Megavesicles implicated in the rapid transport of intracisternal aggregates across the Golgi stack,'' stems from a collaboration between scientific groups at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York (Dr. James Rothman), the University of Geneva, Switzerland (Dr. Lelio Orci) and ARIAD (Dr. Tim Clackson).
Resolving a long-standing question in cell biology, the joint scientific team showed that proteins can be transported within cells inside large, fast-moving packets called ``megavesicles.'' The ability of RAPID to reversibly control protein clustering with unprecedented speed was the key to uncovering this new transport pathway -- a fundamental process in cellular function. RAPID was used to induce and break up artificial protein aggregates at different cellular locations providing a previously unattainable dynamic picture of protein transport.
Aberrant protein transport is a key factor in many major diseases, including certain genetic and metabolic disorders. Determining how normal and diseased cells transport proteins, and defining which proteins are involved, should lead to identification and validation of new targets for drug discovery.
``These findings illustrate the power of ARIAD's gene regulation technologies to dissect medically important biological pathways. The increasing focus on proteomics in the pharmaceutical industry is creating many opportunities for ARIAD to commercialize its RAPID gene regulation technology,'' said Harvey J. Berger, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of ARIAD.
ARIAD is developing two platform technologies for regulated gene therapy. The ARIAD Regulated Gene Expression Technology (ARGENT(TM)) system provides sustained, long-term delivery of proteins, such as erythropoietin (for treatment of anemia), interferons (for cancer and multiple sclerosis), and Factors VIII and IX (for hemophilia). ARIAD's RAPID technology permits immediate, pulsatile delivery of proteins, such as insulin (for diabetes) and endorphins (for pain). ARIAD also intends to enter into licensing agreements with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to permit them to use these technologies in their proteomics and genomics research programs. |
