Athersys, Inc.

Abt Holding Company

Stephen Rundlett

John Joseph Harrington

Bruce Sherf

Rakesh Ramachandran

Scott Cain

P David Jackson

The present invention is directed generally to activating gene expression or causing over-expression of a gene by recombination methods in situ. The invention also is directed generally to methods for expressing an endogenous gene in a cell at levels higher than those normally found in the cell. In one embodiment of the invention, expression of an endogenous gene is activated or increased following integration into the cell, by non-homologous or illegitimate recombination, of a regulatory sequence that activates expression of the gene. In another embodiment, the expression of the endogenous gene may be further increased by co-integration of one or more amplifiable markers, and selecting for increased copies of the one or more amplifiable markers located on the integrated vector. The invention also provides methods for the identification, activation, isolation, and/or expression of genes undiscoverable by current methods since no target sequence is necessary for integration.

Compositions and methods for non-targeted activation of endogenous genes

The present invention is directed generally to activating gene expression or causing over-expression of a gene by recombination methods in situ. The invention also is directed generally to methods for expressing an endogenous gene in a cell at levels higher than those normally found in the cell. In one embodiment of the invention, expression of an endogenous gene is activated or increased following integration into the cell, by non-homologous or illegitimate recombination, of a regulatory sequence that activates expression of the gene. The invention also provides methods for the identification, activation, isolation, and/or expression of genes undiscoverable by current methods since no target sequence is necessary for integration. Thus, by the present invention, endogenous genes, including those associated with human disease and development, may be activated and isolated without prior knowledge of the sequence, structure, function, or expression profile of the genes.

The present invention relates to the identification of novel nucleic acid molecules and the proteins encoded by these nucleic acid molecules, as well as their production for use as therapeutics, diagnostics and for research purposes.

Nucleic acid and protein homologs and uses thereof

The present invention is directed generally to activating gene expression or causing over-expression of a gene by recombination methods in situ. The invention also is directed generally to methods for expressing an endogenous gene in a cell at levels higher than those normally found in the cell. In one embodiment of the invention, expression of an endogenous gene is activated or increased following integration into the cell, by non-homologous or illegitimate recombination, of a regulatory sequence that activates expression of the gene. In another embodiment, the expression of the endogenous gene may be further increased by co-integration of one or more amplifiable markers, and selecting for increased copies of the one or more amplifiable markers located on the integrated vector. In another embodiment, the invention is directed to activation of endogenous genes by non-targeted integration of specialized activation vectors, which are provided by the invention, into the genome of a host cell. The invention also provides methods for the identification, activation, isolation, and/or expression of genes undiscoverable by current methods since no target sequence is necessary for integration. The invention also provides methods for isolation of nucleic acid molecules (particularly cDNA molecules) encoding a variety of proteins, including transmembrane proteins, and for isolation of cells expressing such transmembrane proteins which may be heterologous transmembrane proteins. The invention also is directed to isolated genes, gene products, nucleic acid molecules, to compositions comprising such genes, gene products and nucleic acid molecules, and to vectors and host cells comprising such genes and nucleic acid molecules, that may be used in a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Thus, by the present invention, endogenous genes, including those associated with human disease and development, may be activated and isolated without prior knowledge of the sequence, structure, function, or expression profile of the genes.

The present invention is directed generally to activating gene expression or causing over-expression of a gene by recombination methods in situ. The invention also is directed generally to methods for expressing an endogenous gene in a cell at levels higher than those normally found in the cell. In one embodiment of the invention, expression of an endogenous gene is activated or increased following integration into the cell, by non-homologous or illegitimate recombination, of a regulatory sequence that activates expression of the gene. The invention also provides methods for the identification, activation, isolation, and/or expression of genes undiscoverable by current methods since no target sequence is necessary for integration. Thus, by the present invention, endogenous genes, including those associated with human disease and development, may be activated and isolated without prior knowledge of the, sequence, structure, function, or expression profile of the genes.

The present invention is directed generally to activating gene expression or causing over-expression of a gene by recombination methods in situ. The invention also is directed generally to methods for expressing an endogenous gene in a cell at levels higher than those normally found in the cell. In one embodiment of the invention, expression of an endogenous gene is activated or increased following integration into the cell, by non-homologous or illegitimate recombination, of a regulatory sequence that activates expression of the gene. The invention also provides methods for the identification, activation, isolation, and/or expression of genes undiscoverable by current methods since no target sequence is necessary for integration. The invention also provides methods for isolation of nucleic acid molecules (particularly cDNA molecules) encoding a variety of proteins. Thus, by the present invention, endogenous genes, including those associated with human disease and development, may be activated and isolated without prior knowledge of the sequence, structure, function, or expression profile of the genes.

The present invention is directed generally to activating gene expression or causing over-expression of a gene by recombination methods in situ. The invention also is directed generally to methods for expressing an endogenous gene in a cell at levels higher than those normally found in the cell. In one embodiment of the invention, expression of an endogenous gene is activated or increased following integration into the cell, by non-homologous or illegitimate recombination, of a regulatory sequence that activates expression of the gene. In another embodiment, the expression of the endogenous gene may be further increased by co-integration of one or more amplifiable markers, and selecting for increased copies of the one or more amplifiable markers located on the integrated vector. In another embodiment, the invention is directed to activation of endogenous genes by non-targeted integration of specialized activation vectors, which are provided by the invention, into the genome of a host cell. In one aspect, the invention is directed to a vector that contains a transcriptional regulatory sequence, a positive selectable marker, a negative selectable marker, and an unpaired splice donor site, that functions such that when the vector is integrated into the genome of a cell and splicing occurs between the splice donor on the vector and the splice acceptor in the genome, the positive selectable marker is active and the negative selectable marker is inactive.

Compositions and method for non-targeted activation of endogenous genes

Expression of an endogenous gene is activated or increased following integration into a cell, by non-homologous or illegitimate recombination, of (1) an enhancer sequence that activates expression of the gene and (2) a sequence that encodes an amplifiable marker. The invention also provides methods for the identification, activation, isolation, and/or expression of genes undiscoverable by current methods since no target sequence is necessary for integration. The invention also provides cells containing the enhancer and amplifiable marker sequence and expressing increased amounts of a desired gene. The invention also provides methods for the isolation of nucleic acid molecules (particularly cDNA molecules) encoding a variety of proteins, including transmembrane proteins, and for the isolation of cells expressing such proteins. Thus, by the present invention, endogenous genes, including those associated with human disease and development, may be activated and isolated without prior knowledge of the sequence, structure, function, or expression profile of the genes.

Expression of an endogenous gene is activated or increased following integration into the cell, by non-homologous or illegitimate recombination, of a regulatory sequence that activates expression of the gene. The invention also provides methods for the identification, activation, isolation, and/or expression of genes undiscoverable by current methods since no target sequence is necessary for integration. The invention also provides methods for the isolation of nucleic acid molecules (particularly cDNA molecules) encoding a variety of proteins, including transmembrane proteins, and for the isolation of cells expressing such transmembrane proteins which may be heterologous transmembrane proteins. Thus, by the present invention, endogenous genes, including those associated with human disease and development, may be activated and isolated without prior knowledge of the sequence, structure, function, or expression profile of the genes.

The present invention is directed generally to activating gene expression or causing over-expression of a gene by recombination methods in situ. The invention also is directed generally to methods for expressing an endogenous gene in a cell at levels higher than those normally found in the cell. In one embodiment of the invention, expression of an endogenous gene is activated or increased following integration into the cell, by non-homologous or illegitimate recombination, of a regulatory sequence that activates expression of the gene. In another embodiment, the expression of the endogenous gene may be further increased by co-integration of one or more amplifiable markers, and selecting for increased copies of the one or more ampliflable markers located on the integrated vector. In another embodiment, the invention is directed to activation of endogenous genes by non-targeted integration of specialized activation vectors, which are provided by the invention, into the genome of a host cell. The invention also provides methods for the identification, activation, isolation, and/or expression of genes undiscoverable by current methods since no target sequence is necessary for integration. The invention also provides methods for isolation of nucleic acid molecules (particularly cDNA molecules) encoding a variety of proteins, including transmembrane proteins, and for isolation of cells expressing such transmembrane proteins which maybe heterologous transmembrane proteins. The invention also is directed to isolated genes, gene products, nucleic acid molecules, to compositions comprising such genes, gene products and nucleic acid molecules, and to vectors and host cells comprising such genes and nucleic acid molecules, that may be used in a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Thus, by the present invention, endogenous genes, including those associated with human disease and development, may be activated and isolated without prior knowledge of the sequence, structure, function, or expression profile of the genes.

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Chagrin Falls, OH, United States of America

Stephen Rundlett