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Cellectis: A step towards a new therapy for AIDS
Cellectis publishes genome engineering advance in Nature Methods
Paris, France, September 10th, 2012 - Cellectis (Alternext: ALCLS), the
French Genome engineering specialist, proudly announces the publication of a collaborative paper in Nature Methods1, one of the most
prestigious journals for presenting new methods in biotechnology. The manuscript describes an improvement in current DNA targeted
modification methods which could be adapted to the production of HIV resistant immune cells.
New hope for treating AIDS
Cellectis elaborated an Enzyme that
targets a key gene (CCR5) required for entry of HIV to
immune cells. Disrupting this gene prevents the virus
to enter those cells, and thus progression of HIV infection to AIDS.
Cellectis's teams thus succeeded in improving current Genome engineering techniques
by employing a new approach: co-expressing Meganucleases or TALENs™, Cellectis's
internal technology, together with exonucleases. This technique enabled the researchers to greatly increase the disruption rate of the targeted gene and
to favor a safer pathway of DNA repair compared to the rate obtained with the sole use of the same specific nuclease. This new strategy thus allows highly specific inactivation of a target gene with
increased efficiency and safety, and represents a key advance for therapeutic applications of Nuclease technology.
“ In 2011, Nature Methods chose Genome editing with engineered nucleases, such as those produced by Cellectis, as « Method of the Year ». This new publication
in this highly renowned journal highlights once again Cellectis's innovating strategy, its tremendous capabilities and thus its legitimacy in the Biotechnology sector ”,
declared André Choulika, Chief Executive Officer of Cellectis. “ Indeed, this paper demonstrates an important enhancement of the power of both Cellectis's meganuclease and TALEN™ Genome engineering
platforms, and has particularly important implications for therapeutic applications where efficiency and safety are paramount”. applications where efficiency and safety are paramount ”.
1 Coupling endonucleases with DNA end-processing enzymes to drive gene disruption, Nature Methods doi:10.1038/nmeth.2177 lien url : http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nmeth.2177.html
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About Cellectis
Founded in France in 1999, the Cellectis Group is based on a highly specific DNA engineering technology. Its application sectors are human health, agriculture and bio-energies. Co-created by André Choulika, its Chief Executive Officer, Cellectis is today one of the world leading companies in the field of genome engineering. The Group has a workforce of 230 employees working on 5 sites worldwide: Paris & Evry in France, Gothenburg in Sweden, St Paul (Minnesota) & Cambridge (Massachusetts) in the United States. Cellectis achieved in 2011 €19M revenues and has signed more than 80 industrial agreements with pharmaceutical laboratories, agrochemical and biotechnology companies since its inception. AFM, Dupont, BASF, Bayer, Total, Limagrain, Novo Nordisk… are some of the Group’s clients and partners.
Since 2007, Cellectis has been listed on NYSE-Euronext Alternext market (code: ALCLS) in Paris.
For more information, visit our website: www.cellectis.com.
Source:
http://www.cellectis.com/media/press-release/2012/cellectis-step-towards-new-therapy-aids-cellectis-publishes-genome-engineer
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