Stem Cell Gene Expression Studied

Applied Genetics News, August, 2002

Lynx Therapeutics, Inc. (25861 Industrial Blvd., Hayward, CA 94545; Tel: 510/670-9300, Fax: 510/670-9302; Website: www.lynxgen.com) has entered into a service agreement with Cue Therapeutics (Salt Lake City, UT) to study stem cell gene expression. Lynx will receive payments for the genomics discovery services it performs on the human stem cell samples provided under this agreement. The resulting data should serve as the groundwork for a database of stem cell gene expression.

The agreement features the application of Lynx's Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing technology, or MPSS, to uncover critical factors essential for maintenance of the undifferentiated state of human astrocyte precursors. Astrocytes are the star- shaped cells that make up the majority of grey matter in the brain. The study may be expanded to include other human stem cells.

Stem cells have the ability to divide for indefinite periods in tissue culture and, under the appropriate biological conditions, give rise to specialized cells. The genes that maintain the undifferentiated state and permit ongoing cell proliferation are expressed in stem cells. Through elucidating the various molecular and cellular events in stem cell proliferation and differentiation, one can hope to develop novel approaches to prevention and treatment of many diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke and heart disease.

"We are very pleased that Lynx will be applying its MPSS technology to analyze genes expressed in our astrocyte precursor cell lines," says Dennis Farrar, president and chief executive officer of Cue. "This may enable us to identify novel inductive factors for mobilizing endogenous stem cells to proliferate and regenerate tissue damaged by various demyelinating and neurodegenerative disorders."

"We believe that MPSS provides an unparalleled, high resolution view of what is going on inside the cell," says Tom Vasicek, vice president of business development at Lynx. "As this project moves forward, we should be able to see a complete picture of the activity of every gene in these stem cells that are critically important in normal development and in disease."