genOway obtained an exclusive license to the Flex technology from the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology for creating inducible mutations in animals. The firms claim that the technology is unique in its ability to create inducible mutations at precise time points.
“This technology is very important for the development of even more predictive animal models,” comments Alexandre Fraichard, Ph.D., genOway CEO. “It can mimic the appearance of mutations and, therefore, help the consequences of this for biological and pathological (or not) processes to be understood.”
genOway is dedicated to the development of genetically modified animal models. In February the company commercially launched its new production technology, StemCellHY, for the creation of genetically modified rodents. StemCellHY involves a technology for gene targeting, which genOway reports reduces production costs for this step by 66%. The company suggests the process also reduces the overall time needed to develop specific models by some 20%.
The StemCellHY technology uses a bank of rodent embryonic pluripotent stem cell lines acquired by genOway from ThromboGenics. The bank includes embryonic stem cells in new genetic backgrounds, which the company says will enable it to expand its range of animal models. To this end, genOway anticipates the launch of new models specifically for metabolic and inflammatory diseases by mid-2010.