May 2 2007, 12:39 PM EST
GEN News Highlights
Taconic Farms and Artemis Pharmaceuticals have jointly acquired the worldwide rights to the ASKA technology from CGI Pharmaceuticals. This approach to in vivo kinase-related drug discovery is based on the replacement of a normal kinase with a selectively modified kinase or ASKA (Analogue Sensitive Kinase Allele) in genetically modified mice.
Under the terms of the transaction, Artemis and Taconic are assigned the entire portfolio of ASKA IP rights as well as know-how, trade secrets, and materials developed by CGI. Included are the rights to patents based on the chemistry and molecular biology work of Dr. Kevan Shokat, Ph.D., inventor of the ASKA technology.
Artemis and Taconic will generate, market, and distribute ASKA transgenic mouse models in which a fully functional ASKA replaces the normal kinase gene.
7/9/2009
This is a really interesting and important technology. You basically can knock-out any kinase gene in the mouse genome and knock-in the mutated ASKA version of that particular gene. The mutated kinase doesn't take regular ATP anymore, since the ATP binding pocket is enlarged (e.g., by mutating a M to a G). When you feed the chemical analog (e.g., 1NaPPTP), the kinase turns active again, since the analog can serve as a phosphate donor. Very clever approach that can test the in vivo importance of individual kinases in the mouse model.
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