NEW YORK, Jan. 23 - A biochemist at the University of California at San Francisco will use atugen's gene-expression-blocking technology to study the functioning of epithelial membrane.
Under the agreement, atugen USA, a division of the German-based concern, will develop antisense reagents in order to block genes associated with epithelial membrane regulation in the canine kidney. The functional genomics company retains the option to commercialize technology resulting from this arrangement.
Financial details were not disclosed.
The biochemist, Keith Mostov, studies the way that individual cells aggregate to form multicellular epithelial tissue, a line of research that may ultimately be relevant in the treatment of cancer and other epithelial diseases.
This is atugen's first significant collaboration with an academic researcher, and the company's senior director for business development said in a statement that atugen intends to establish others.