Geron Corporation Announces Publication of Genetic Data Describing Genes Linked to the Growth and Differentiation
of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 2004--Geron
Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) today announced the publication of research
results that identify genes active in human embryonic stem cells
(hESCs) and in hESCs undergoing differentiation. The work was
performed under Geron's prior collaboration with Celera Genomics Group
(NYSE:CRA), an Applera Corporation business, and was published online
today in the journal Nature Biotechnology (www.nature.com/nbt). This
work has elucidated signaling pathways operative in hESCs that likely
play key roles in their growth and differentiation. This information
will facilitate derivation of useful differentiated cell types for
therapy, and may also lead to the development of novel tools for drug
discovery.
As part of their collaboration, Geron and Celera produced cDNA
libraries from undifferentiated hESCs and three partially
differentiated progeny cell populations. Over 148,000 physical clones
were sequenced representing more than 32,000 transcripts, expressed
genes in the human genome. These data were analyzed to identify over
600 genes preferentially upregulated or downregulated in
undifferentiated hESCs and to assemble a blueprint of molecular
pathways functional in hESC differentiation. All 148,000 sequences are
available from the National Center for Biotechnology Information
(www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
"This work represents a unique large scale comparison of genes
expressed in undifferentiated hESCs and their differentiated progeny,"
said Ralph Brandenberger, Ph.D., Geron's group leader of
bioinformatics and lead author on the paper. "This approach allows
fine discrimination of gene expression patterns between directly
related cell types permitting identification of genes likely to be
important in the maintenance of undifferentiated hESCs and in the
transition to the early differentiated state. The data also show
differences between mouse and human embryonic stem cells and the
different mechanisms each uses to maintain the undifferentiated
'pluripotent' state."
"Controlling the growth and differentiation of hESCs is key to
developing well characterized cell populations for therapeutic use,"
stated Thomas B. Okarma, Ph.D., M.D., Geron's president and chief
executive officer. "The information provided by this study has
resulted in new inventions which may help us achieve this. Under the
Geron-Celera agreement, these inventions are owned by Geron."
Geron is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and
commercializing therapeutic and diagnostic products for cancer based
on its telomerase technology, and cell-based therapeutics using its
human embryonic stem cell technology. |
