Lupus cure a ray of hope at Genesis

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Lupus cure a ray of hope at Genesis

01 August 2004

By DAVID FISHER and NZPA

Scientists at Kiwi biotech company Genesis Research have moved a significant

step closer to finding a way of using a single cell to trigger bone growth

and protect the immune system.

Dr Jim said work on the Zyrogen project revealed a molecule could

trigger the cell to increase bone growth. The same cell could also be

activated to increase white blood cell production, which would help protect

the immune system.

" There is no other molecule that does that, " he said. We think there is a

stem cell that can go either into bone development or white blood cell

development. This is a stem cell that seems to have the choice. " Research

head Dr Greg Murison turned in results from tests on bone growth that were

" exciting " .

" They were the first direct demonstration that this molecule was one of

those pivotal molecules in starting the process of bone growth. "

said it would be years before the science produced a drug that could

be used in treatment. He said the aim was a drug to treat autoimmune

diseases, or stimulate bone growth.

The main target would be lupus, in which sufferers' immune systems create

antibodies which attack their own body tissues.

The increase in white blood cells prompted by the molecule would also help

protect against cancer cells.

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The other promise the work held was in developing a treatment for

osteoporosis, using the molecule to trigger bone growth.

" The next step is to design the drugs that will work with this molecule. "

Genesis Research would join with another institution to take it the next

step forward, then move towards drug trials.

Meanwhile, in an announcement last week, Genesis Research said it was laying

off 29 staff at its subsidiary AgriGenesis BioSciences Ltd, as part of an

effort to cut costs.

Genesis said the affected staff had been advised of the job losses.

AgriGenesis will maintain core research programmes with 25 staff.

said the company decided to stop several early-stage plant science

projects following a review of opportunities to bring in new investors by

selling down part of its interest in AgriGenesis.

" It is sad to see good staff being released but this reduction in resources

is necessary in order to focus our resources on the highest priority

projects, " Dr said.

AgriGenesis chief executive Dr Lee said AgriGenesis would focus on a

limited number of projects and scale back investment in a number of its

research programmes.

He said the intellectual property of the suspended programmes would remain

protected within AgriGenesis and the company would continue to seek

partnering opportunities for its research and development programmes.

Genesis said it expected the cash balance as at December 31 this year to be

sufficient to fund operations for at least several years.

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