WALTHAM, Mass., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific
Inc., the world leader in serving science, announced today that its
RNA-interference (RNAi) technology has enabled a groundbreaking study at
Harvard Medical School in Boston, which identified human proteins required for
growth of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This research points to
potential new targets for treating HIV infection, which causes acquired immune
deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
In the study, Harvard Medical School researchers used the Thermo
Scientific Dharmacon(R) siGENOME(R) siRNA Library to "silence" more than
21,000 human genes, blocking the proteins they produce. With the help of
Harvard's ICCB-Longwood High Throughput Screening Facility, the researchers
identified 273 proteins required for HIV reproduction. Only 36 were previously
known to be important to HIV.
"This study clearly demonstrates the power of genome-wide RNAi screening
in identifying novel drug targets," said Ian Jardine, vice president of global
research and development for Thermo Fisher Scientific. "The Harvard Medical
School findings dramatically expand the number of potential targets for
fighting HIV. It is an exciting discovery that holds promise for new
treatments, and we are thrilled that our genome-wide siRNA library enabled
this work."
Current HIV therapies target the virus itself, but HIV often mutates to
build resistance against those drugs. Drugs targeting host proteins may be
significantly less vulnerable to resistance caused by the virus' ability to
mutate.
The research team was led by Harvard Medical School (HMS) professor Dr.
Stephen J. Elledge and Dr. Judy Lieberman, HMS professor of pediatrics as well
as an investigator at the Immune Disease Institute and director of the HMS
Division of AIDS. The team also included Dr. Abraham L. Brass, postdoctoral
researcher, working with Derek Dykxhoorn and Nan Yan, molecular virologists in
Dr. Lieberman's group. Brass used the Dharmacon siGENOME siRNA Library for
discovering weaknesses in pathogens such as HIV.
"HIV only expresses a few proteins, so it depends greatly on our cellular
machinery during its lifecycle," said Brass. "Every time the virus relies on
one of our proteins, it gives us the potential to disrupt that interaction and
hurt HIV, which is very exciting. We also now have the ability to combine
technology like siRNA screening with advanced robotics, giving us an
incredibly powerful tool to go after devastating diseases such as HIV and
cancer."
Dr. Caroline Shamu, director of the ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility,
added, "Whole-genome siRNA (short-interfering RNA) screening is playing an
increasingly important role in advancing genomic and proteomic research.
Because it allows us to investigate the entire human genome, screening
thousands of samples simultaneously, it dramatically accelerates the pace of
biomedical discovery." Shamu's facility hosts the Dharmacon siGENOME siRNA
Library and oversees screening conducted by researchers from Harvard Medical
School and its affiliates.
The siGENOME siRNA Library is a collection of more than 21,000 siRNAs
targeting every gene in the human genome. Each siRNA silences or disrupts the
gene's ability to produce a specific protein. The siGENOME siRNA Library is
currently used by many of the world's leading research institutions to
accelerate the identification of genes important to human health.
Harvard Medical School is a member of the RNAi Global Initiative, founded
by the Dharmacon products team and several leading research institutions
around the world. In addition to Thermo Fisher Scientific, there are now 26
member institutions, all using the siGENOME siRNA Library and collaborating on
research into cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases and other human health
problems.
A paper written by the researchers details their findings and has been
published online by Science magazine. It will appear in the magazine's print
publication on Feb. 8. Other members of the HMS team who contributed to the
paper include Alan Engelman, Yair Benita and Ramnik J. Xavier.
About the Genome-wide RNAi Global Initiative
The Genome-Wide RNAi Global Initiative is an alliance of leading
international biomedical researchers, established to increase and accelerate
the utility of human genome-wide siRNA libraries. The RNAi Global Initiative
provides a forum for member institutions to share research protocols,
establish experimental standards and develop mechanisms for exchanging and
comparing screening data. Membership is open to not-for-profit biomedical
research institutions across North America, Europe and Asia. The RNAi Global
Initiative is being coordinated under the auspices of the RNA Technologies
product team within Thermo Fisher Scientific. Its members include the Campbell
Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research at Princess Margaret Hospital and
Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, both with The
University of Toronto; Cancer Research UK (CRUK) at the London Research
Institute and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR); The German Cancer
Research Center (DKFZ); Eppley Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska
Medical Center; Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI); The Division of Pathway
Medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School; the University of
Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Yale University; the University of Texas M.
D. Anderson Cancer Center; the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and
MRC Cancer Cell Unit; Fox Chase Cancer Center; Harvard Medical School;
Stanford University School of Medicine; British Columbia Cancer Research
Centre; Trinity College, Dublin; the Vrije University Medical Center; Weizmann
Institute of Science; University of Dundee School of Medicine; the Institute
Pasteur Korea; and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, a member of
A*Star Biomedical Sciences Institutes in Singapore; The Institute of
Molecular Biology and Tumor Research - Philipps-University Marburg; University
of Chicago; The Salk Institute for Biological Studies; The United States Air
Force; University of Manchester; The Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG).
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving
science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and
safer. With an annual revenue rate of more than $9 billion, we employ 30,000
people and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and biotech
companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research
institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial
process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo
Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from
routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers
customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as
laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable
integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a
complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services
used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we
offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously
advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery,
enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees
alike. Visit http://www.thermofisher.com.
Media Contact Information:
Karen Kirkwood
Phone: 781-622-1306
Email: Karen.Kirkwood@thermofisher.com
Investor Contact Information:
Ken Apicerno
Phone: 781-622-1111
Email: Ken.Apicerno@thermofisher.com
SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.