NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Horizon Discovery and stem cell products firm DefiniGen today announced a collaboration to develop gene-edited induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines for use in research.
Under the terms of the agreement, Horizon will perform genome engineering on the iPSCs, which DefiniGen will differentiate into distinct cell types. The project will try to generate 10 cell lines for research in areas that lack effective models of disease. Definigen will culture and differentiate the cell lines, perform quality control, and sell cell line reagents. Horizon has rights to co-market the reagents.
Horizon Discovery offers several gene editing technologies including CRISPR/Cas9 and adeno-associated viruses.
"Genome editing is now being applied to the generation of iPS disease models, creating an entirely new suite of research tools, enabling customers to ask important biological questions that were not easily addressed previously," Paul Morrill, Horizon Discovery's president, products business, said in a statement.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Earlier this month, Horizon Discovery signed a deal to collaborate with CareDx on cell-free DNA reference standards.