Princeton University Invention # 09-2521
Researchers in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Molecular Biology, Princeton University, have described a new process based on the natural biological mechanism of RNA-guided DNA recombination as discovered and reported in their recent publication, Nowacki et al. Nature 2008 January ¹.
The process describes a general approach to target or program specific DNA or genome rearrangements in a wide range of cells, based just on knowledge of the desired rearrangement product or DNA sequence. This process was initially demonstrated in a single-cell organism, Oxytricha trifallax, but now further data shows that this method can extend to human cancer cells, which opens up a wide range of potential applicability. Princeton researchers used a human pancreatic cancer cell line and tested a DNA rearrangement in a gene associated with breast cancer to show that the phenomenon may be general for most cancers. Therefore the method offers a novel mechanism for programming rearrangements in many organisms and cell types.
Possible applications include gene therapy for specific rearrangements, such as programming deletion of an unwanted stretch of DNA or repairing unrearranged DNA. Possible screens for early cancer detection and prevention could also be developed, based on detecting the presence of certain DNA or RNA templates in precancerous or cancerous cells.
Princeton is currently seeking commercial partners for the further development and commercialization of this opportunity. Patent protection is pending.
References:
¹Nowacki M, Vijayan V, Zhou Y, Schotanus K, Doak TG, Landweber LF, RNA-Mediated Epigenetic Programming of a Genome-Rearrangement Pathways , Nature, 2008, January 10;451:153-8.
Yao, Meng-Chao, RNA Rules, News & Views, Nature, 2008, January 10;451:131.
NJN News Science Report January 17th, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YHVP2xDbS0
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