Pfizer, Sangamo expand collaboration on research of enhanced protein production

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Jan. 4 - Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced Wednesday that it has entered into a second agreement with Pfizer Inc. that expands the scope of an existing research collaboration in the field of enhanced protein production.

Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will fund further research at Sangamo and Sangamo will use its zinc finger DNA-binding protein technology to develop additional cell lines for enhanced protein production, according to a company news release.

"Over the past year we have enjoyed a very productive collaboration with Pfizer, the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical company," Edward Lanphier, Sangamo's president and chief executive officer, said in the release.

"We believe that the expansion of this agreement is evidence of our successful development and application of this technology to facilitate the generation of improved production cell lines with altered traits."

Zinc-finger DNA-binding protein technology is the dominant class of naturally occurring transcription factors in organisms from yeast to humans, Sangamo said.

Transcription factors, which are found in the nucleus of every cell, bind to DNA to regulate gene expression. Though there are many kinds of transcription factors, only zinc finger DNA-binding proteins are amenable to engineering and precise targeting to a particular gene or genes of interest, officials said.

By engineering zinc finger DNA-binding proteins that recognize a specific DNA sequence, Sangamo said its scientists have created ZFP transcription factors (ZFP Tfs) that can control gene expression and consequently, cell function.

Sangamo said it also is developing sequence-specific ZFP nucleases (ZFNs) for targeted gene correction, gene disruption and gene insertion.

Sangamo is a Richmond, Calif., biotechnology company focused on the research and development of novel DNA-binding proteins for therapeutic gene regulation and modification.

Pfizer is a New York City pharmaceutical, consumer and animal health care products company.

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