GENE THERAPY: Bcl-2 Licensed for Tissue Injury

Applied Genetics News,  March, 2001  

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Selective Genetics (11035 Roselle St., San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 858/625-0100, Fax: 858-625-0050, Website: selectivegenetics.com) has licensed Idun Pharmaceuticals' (640 Memorial Dr., Cambridge, MA 02139; Tel: 617/679-7000, Fax: 617/374-9379, Website: mlnm.com) Bcl-2 gene. Selective Genetics will use the gene for the development of gene therapy products for tissue repair and regeneration.

Cells in injured tissue often die via apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Expression of the Bcl-2 gene allows cells to be resistant to this form of cell death. Introduction of the Bcl-2 gene into the cells of injured tissue may reduce cell death and improve the clinical outcome of the injury.

"Surprisingly, gene therapy has been deployed infrequently against the one clinical area that is often truly localized and thus offers a greater chance of success: tissue injury," says Robert Abbott, CEO of Selective Genetics. "The highly localized nature of tissue injury makes it an ideal application for Selective Genetics' proprietary gene activated matrices technology, which physically targets gene therapy to achieve a local, high concentration of therapeutic agent. The Bcl-2 gene will be a useful gene to combine with our delivery technology for the treatment of some of these diseases."

"Use of Bcl-2 as a gene therapy agent to treat tissue injury is an ideal application of Idun's anti-apoptosis technology," says Steven Mento, president and CEO of Idun Pharmaceuticals.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Business Communications Company, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group