Contact:
Paul Diehl
650-968-2200 x112
pdiehl@systembio.com


NEW SYSTEM FACILITATES FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS WITH RNAi TECHNOLOGY
System Biosciences Provides Unique Lentiviral System to Deliver and Stably Express siRNA

Mountain View, CA – December 15, 2003: System Biosciences (SBI) announced the launch of its new GeneNet™ Lentiviral siRNA Transduction System based on the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). With this unique and highly efficient delivery and expression system for short interfering RNA (siRNA), researchers can permanently inhibit the expression of any gene in almost any mammalian cell or organism. As opposed to current transient delivery and expression methods, these novel lentiviral-based siRNA vector systems provide a basis for a more thorough understanding of the effects of siRNA on a target gene.

Able to specifically inhibit the expression of selected genes, RNA interference (RNAi) technology has demonstrated exceptional utility in furthering the understanding of gene function and biological processes. Further, this technology has strong potential therapeutic applications. However, more efficient delivery systems and stable inhibition of target gene expression in cell and animal model systems is essential for RNAi technology to reach its full potential. SBI’s pFIV siRNA Cloning and Expression Vectors are the only siRNA vectors available that make use of the unique capabilities available with a lentiviral-based expression system. The highly efficient delivery and stable expression features of these systems make them especially useful for analyzing gene function without the side-effects typical of harsh transfection delivery methods and transient expression analysis that are commonly used.

Based on the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), the pFIV siRNA Vectors can be combined with cells expressing FIV proteins to create a pseudoviral particle that will easily carry any siRNA coding sequence into a mammalian cell. Once inside the cell, a portion of the vector sequence will immediately integrate into the genome so that the cell permanently expresses the siRNA molecule. This approach allows researchers to introduce and express siRNA molecules in almost any mammalian cells or organisms—including non-dividing cells—facilitating analysis over time and different environmental conditions.

“This system enables investigators to fully utilize the capability of RNAi technology,” commented Alex Chenchik, Vice President of SBI. “Most siRNA knockdown studies are done with transiently expressing siRNA molecules. Now, with these newly developed and highly efficient pFIV vectors, researchers can easily set up a robust model siRNA knockdown system to study gene function. This approach provides a much more thorough understanding of the functional effects of inhibiting a particular gene and enables researchers to take full advantage of the power for RNAi technology.”

As SBI’s initial products for gene functional analysis, these pFIV siRNA Cloning and Expression Vectors will be used as the basis for genome-wide functional analysis using a range of different effector elements. The first of these libraries—the GeneNet siRNA Lentiviral Libraries—will be released in the beginning of 2004.

SBI, based in Mountain View California, focuses on developing tools and services to facilitate genome-wide functional screening, discovery, and analysis of genes that regulate biological responses.

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To learn more about System Biosciences, please visit www.systembio.com.