New Technology to Study the Mechanism of Cancer
Switchgear Genomics unveils new experimental technology to characterize the biological networks of cancer cells.
Menlo Park, CA, April 12, 2007 --(PR.com)-- SwitchGear Genomics is a biotech company based on technology developed at Stanford University that focuses on the molecular switches in the human genome that turn genes on and off. The company has just released the world’s first tool to rapidly and accurately interrogate the function of over 3,000 DNA switches that regulate cancer biology. This oncology tool enables researchers to study the activity of regulatory switches in living cancer cells. Richard Myers, Chairman of Genetics Department at Stanford University says, “SwitchGear’s novel platform directly measures the mechanisms that regulate cancer genetics. It is very exciting technology, and our lab plans to use it to provide a deeper understanding of the biology of cancer. We hope that this work will ultimately lead to new and better cancer therapeutics.”
Cancer is a genetic disease characterized by the erroneous processing of information contained in our genome. Billions of dollars have been spent in an effort to identify the genes involved in cancer. However, protein-coding genes make up a small fraction of the total genome and provide a limited view into the causes of cancer. According to Nathan Trinklein, CEO and co-founder of SwitchGear Genomics, “The DNA switches identified by SwitchGear are critical to understanding how information in the genome is processed. Cancer is a very complex disease, but one thing all cancers have in common is the inability of cells to recognize the signals to stop dividing. Many of these growth signals are contained in the DNA switches identified by SwitchGear, and researchers will now be able to analyze their function on a high-throughput scale. Our initial beta customers in pharmaceutical and academic research groups have rapidly generated very interesting data sets.”
About SwitchGear Genomics:
SwitchGear Genomics was founded by Dr. Richard Myers, Dr. Nathan Trinklein, and Dr. Shelley Force Aldred of Stanford University. SwitchGear Genomics provides novel technology to aid researchers in large-scale studies of gene regulation. The new tools and services offered by SwitchGear Genomics enables researches to gather novel data, greatly enrich existing genomic datasets, and focus on the comprehensive characterization of genetic pathways. As leaders in the fields of DNA switch identification and functional characterization, SwitchGear is in a unique position to provide the research community with an entirely new way to study the function of the human genome and ultimately develop new classes of therapeutics.
Contact:
Nathan Trinklein, Ph.D.
Co-founder, CEO
SwitchGear Genomics
Phone: 650-323-6763
Email: nathant@switchgeargenomics.com
www.switchgeargenomics.com
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Cancer is a genetic disease characterized by the erroneous processing of information contained in our genome. Billions of dollars have been spent in an effort to identify the genes involved in cancer. However, protein-coding genes make up a small fraction of the total genome and provide a limited view into the causes of cancer. According to Nathan Trinklein, CEO and co-founder of SwitchGear Genomics, “The DNA switches identified by SwitchGear are critical to understanding how information in the genome is processed. Cancer is a very complex disease, but one thing all cancers have in common is the inability of cells to recognize the signals to stop dividing. Many of these growth signals are contained in the DNA switches identified by SwitchGear, and researchers will now be able to analyze their function on a high-throughput scale. Our initial beta customers in pharmaceutical and academic research groups have rapidly generated very interesting data sets.”
About SwitchGear Genomics:
SwitchGear Genomics was founded by Dr. Richard Myers, Dr. Nathan Trinklein, and Dr. Shelley Force Aldred of Stanford University. SwitchGear Genomics provides novel technology to aid researchers in large-scale studies of gene regulation. The new tools and services offered by SwitchGear Genomics enables researches to gather novel data, greatly enrich existing genomic datasets, and focus on the comprehensive characterization of genetic pathways. As leaders in the fields of DNA switch identification and functional characterization, SwitchGear is in a unique position to provide the research community with an entirely new way to study the function of the human genome and ultimately develop new classes of therapeutics.
Contact:
Nathan Trinklein, Ph.D.
Co-founder, CEO
SwitchGear Genomics
Phone: 650-323-6763
Email: nathant@switchgeargenomics.com
www.switchgeargenomics.com
###
Contact
SwitchGear Genomics
Nathan Trinklein
650-323-6763
www.switchgeargenomics.com
Nathan Trinklein
650-323-6763
www.switchgeargenomics.com
Contact
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