Along with being favorably mentioned in the latest issue of
The New Yorker (9/30), Geron (Nasdaq: GERN) also made it to the
latest Business Week (10/7).
Although the Business Week piece didn't give a very clear idea
of what Geron was doing in anti-aging and anti-cancer research,
being mentioned as one of the three major anti-aging research
companies will definitely help improve the company's visibility
among investors. (Of the three companies listed, Geron is the
only one that's publicly traded.)
More news on Geron: Here's today's (9/30) press release:
MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 30, 1996--Geron
Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN) today announced that it has licensed
several technologies from GenPharm International, Inc. for
genetically modifying primate primordial stem cells prior to
their transplantation as a potential treatment for age-related
diseases.
Geron has obtained exclusive rights to these technologies as
they apply to primate primordial stem (PS) cells -- unique germ
line cells that are immortal, consistent with their high
telomerase expression, and capable of differentiation into any
and all types of cells and tissues in the body.
Geron's primordial stem cell program is directed at generating
a broad array of cell types for transplantation, and is initially
focused on differentiating PS cells into cardiomyocytes (heart
muscle cells) for treating congestive heart failure and neurons
for treating Parkinson's disease.
The first set of technologies licensed by Geron from GenPharm
are gene targeting techniques for efficiently altering the
genetic makeup of PS cells to give them qualities that will
enhance their therapeutic value, such as reducing the possibility
of transplantation rejection. These technologies, which will be
used to target specific genes within a PS cell, were developed by
Mario Capecchi and others at the University of Utah and
subsequently licensed to GenPharm.
The second technology is a methodology for transferring large
amounts of DNA into PS cells. This technology, which involves the
insertion of heterologous DNA using Yeast Artificial Chromosome
(YAC) technology, was developed by Rudolph Jaenisch and others at
the Whitehead Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, and then licensed to GenPharm. "These technologies
will play an important role in advancing our efforts to develop
new cell therapies for age-related diseases," said Ronald W.
Eastman, Geron president and chief executive officer. "By
allowing us to introduce therapeutically useful genetic
alterations into a PS cell, these techniques are designed to
enhance the effectiveness of this new approach to cell
transplantation."
Geron is researching the potential clinical uses of PS cells
derived from primates. These cells have been shown to
differentiate into numerous cell types that could be useful
clinically. Unlike other stem cells, PS cells are capable of
differentiation into all types of cells and tissues in the body.
In addition, unlike other stem cells, PS cells are immortal and
can be grown indefinitely, potentially providing an unlimited
homogeneous supply of cells for gene therapy applications.
GenPharm International, Inc. is a world leader in the
development of human monoclonal antibodies from transgenic mice
for therapeutic and diagnostic uses. Geron Corporation is a
biopharmaceutical company exclusively focused on discovering and
developing therapeutic and diagnostic products based upon common
biological mechanisms underlying cancer and other age-related
diseases. CONTACT: Geron Corporation, Jeryl Hilleman,
415/473-7700 |
