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Cell Therapeutics' subsidiary PanGenex introduces technology for high-throughput, cell-based screening of new cancer targets
Technology described at international scientific conference

25 Nov 2003 - PanGenex, Inc. (PanGenex) presented data on its gene knockout, gene expression reporter, and siRNA technologies at the International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics jointly sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
 
PanGenex has generated a gene library of over 50,000 gene sequences and vectors that enable efficient production of gene expression reporters and gene knockouts in human cells. The library which currently contains about 1/3 of all human genes, and includes known drug targets as well as numerous genes implicated in human diseases by genomics and proteomics. The PanGenex library can be used to efficiently make reporter constructs and knockouts in human tumor cell lines and immortalized primary cells. Gene expression reporter cells are amenable for high throughput, cell-based assays for screening chemical diversity libraries for drug candidates. As an example of the utility of this technology, PanGenex scientists presented the use of gene expression reporter cells to screen siRNA reagents to identify key pathways and genes associated with cancer. The company identified a gene referred to as PGXA001 D3 whose expression is increased in response to TGF-alpha and IGF-1, both of which have been implicated in maintenance of cancer. By screening a library of siRNA reagents, the pathways and genes implicated in regulation of PGXA001 D3 were identified.
 
"The ability to produce custom gene expression reporter cells with any gene in the extensive PanGenex gene library in relevant human cell lines allows us to link gene data from genomics and proteomics with cell-based assays for drug discovery. By screening chemical diversity libraries and siRNA libraries, the technology allows simultaneous identification of both chemical compounds that are the starting point for drug development as well as pathways and new drug discovery targets and biomarkers," states Robert Finney, Ph.D., president of PanGenex.