Tue Sep 12
CYTO
AxCell Biosciences Achieves High-Throughput Automation Goal Cytogen to Expand Its AxCell Proteomics Subsidiary - PR Newswire
biz.yahoo.com
PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- AxCell Biosciences Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cytogen Corporation (Nasdaq: CYTO - news) today announced that it has achieved its goal for high-throughput measurement of
protein interactions. AxCell researchers have integrated a series of automated and proprietary, laboratory procedures involving cloning, robotic sample manipulation, and computerized data recording into a sustainable, high- throughput commercial process.
On a daily basis, scientists can measure approximately 10,000 protein-protein interactions.
``In just over eight months after moving into our dedicated facility, using our proprietary high-throughput technology, we have gone from a start-up company to becoming a leader in measuring protein signaling pathway interactions within the human proteome,'' said John D. Rodwell, Ph.D., AxCell's acting President and Chief Technical Officer.
``Now that we have proven the feasibility of our technology,'' added Dr. Rodwell, ``our parent company, Cytogen, is increasing its investment in AxCell. In the coming months we plan to expand into new contiguous laboratory space and to add additional equipment, including robotics, which should allow us to measure protein interactions at even higher rates. We remain on track to have our InterFunctional Proteomics(TM) database of human protein interactions at a sufficient size to begin
marketing next year.''
``We have been able to take advantage of the announced completion of the human genome project by analyzing these data and identifying putative new ligands,'' said Dr. Rodwell. ``We are rapidly synthesizing these ligands and plan to use them to fish out never-before-identified proteins, which we will add to our database and file for intellectual property protection. Initially, we are
working on three important domains in parallel, WW, PDZ, and SH3, which are associated with a broad spectrum of diseases.
We remain on track to completely characterize at least one domain family by the end of the year.''
AxCell Biosciences Corporation has begun a two-to-four year project to develop a comprehensive, proprietary database of
human protein signaling pathways as a tool for identifying new drug targets. Aberrations in the interactions of proteins with one another are at the heart of the molecular basis for many diseases. Structural proteomics, or protein expression, measures the number and types of proteins present in normal and diseased cells. This approach is useful in defining the structure of proteins in a cell. Some of these proteins may be targets for drug discovery. However, the role of proteins in disease states remains to be defined. AxCell's proteomics business is focused upon functional proteomics, the study of proteins' biological activities. An important function of proteins is the transmission of signals using intricate pathways populated by proteins which interact with one another. Elucidating the role proteins play in these signaling pathways allows a better understanding of their function in cellular behavior and permits identification of potentially novel drug targets. Protein-protein interactions form the core of the
Company's Inter-functional Proteomic Database(TM) (IFP). AxCell plans to offer the IFP Database to the pharmaceutical
industry as a tool to accelerate the drug discovery process. For additional information on AxCell Biosciences, visit
www.axcellbio.com.
Cytogen Corporation is an established biopharmaceutical company in Princeton, NJ, with two principal lines of business, proteomics and oncology. The Company is extending its expertise in antibodies and molecular recognition to the development of new products and a proteomics-driven drug discovery platform. The Company has established a pipeline of product candidates based on its proprietary antibody and prostate specific membrane antigen, or PSMA, technologies.
The Company's cancer management franchise currently comprises three marketed FDA-approved products: ProstaScint®, used to image the extent and spread of prostate cancer; OncoScint CR/OV®, a diagnostic imaging agent for colorectal and ovarian cancer; and Quadramet®, for the relief of cancer-related bone pain. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, AxCell Biosciences Corporation, is developing a proprietary protein pathway database as a drug discovery and development tool for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. For additional information on Cytogen, visit www.cytogen.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Cytogen's Form 10-K Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 1999, the ability of the Company to develop and maintain high throughput proteomics technology, and the successful development and market acceptance of its proteomic database. In particular, we cannot assure you that the protein interaction program will result in the commercialization of a successful product. We undertake no duty to update these statements. |
