Telomerase promoters sequences for screening telomerase modulators
Patent Number: 7,378,244
Division of most mammalian cells is accompanied by reduction in the length of telomeres, which is responsible in part for cellular senescence and death. Some cells, particularly stem cells and cancer cells, express the enzyme telomerase and are not restricted by the "Hayflick Limit". Some data exists to support the concept that telomerase can not only immortalize cells, but can do so without causing cancer. Accordingly, it would be highly advantageous to develop small molecules that on the one hand can activate telomerase (to promote longevity) or on the other hand can turn off telomerase in order to kill cancer (but would that also kill your stem cells? maybe not, companies such as Geron and Pharmexa-Epimmune are in clinical trials with vaccines to telomerase and so far adverse effects associated with stem cell loss have not been seen).
The current patent is held by Geron and covers a method of finding a molecule that modulates the promoter for the telomerase reverse transcriptase. The one independent claim of the patent teaches that finding such a molecule can be performed by: a) combining a compound with a polynucleotide comprising the sequence from position -239 to position +1 relative to the translation initiation site of SEQ ID NO: 1 (nucleotides 13306-13545 of SEQ ID NO: 1); and b) identifying a compound that binds said polynucleotide and modulates the activity of said promoter.
Effectively this patent blocks others from using the specific sequence of the telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter for screening of small compound libraries. This is a very good way of protecting new products if you dont know yet what the product will be. In other words it stops others from searching for the telomerase modulators using what appears to be a standard system of drug discovery.
View this patent on the USPTO website.
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jonnyboy said...
I find it very interesting that people are trying to find molecules that extent telomeres through activation of telomerase. This idea seems very dangerous.
Nevertheless there are also other comopanies doing this such as Sierra Biosciences from Reno. Also there is even a neutraceutical company that is actually selling some blueberry crap claiming it activates telomerase.
FUnny business put aside, I think this patent by Geron is really graeat not just based on the value of the IP but also it is good strategy.