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LEVELAND--Athersys, a genomics company based here, has filed US patent applications covering more than 10,000 novel gene sequences identified using the company’s Random Activation of Gene Expression for Gene Discovery technology. The company believes that many of these genes encode novel G-coupled protein receptors, secreted proteins, ion channels, protein kinases, proteases, and other potential drug targets and therapeutic candidates, based on bioinformatics and expression analysis. The RAGE-GD technology enables the activation and expression of any gene in the human genome, including those that are ordinarily silent in most tissues, without requiring the cloning of cDNA or genomic DNA sequences that encode specific genes, said Athersys.
In other news, Athersys has formed a functional genomics collaboration with Acorda Therapeutics of New York, to discover validated drug targets to treat certain central nervous system disorders, including spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis.
