Hi Thomas:
There is a company in Vancouver B.C., Canada, which
actually produces and markets artificial chromosomes c/w
telomeres, a product and technology, which may well have
significance in the upcoming research of Lifeline
Laboratories Inc.
Their website is: <http://www.chromos.com/index.html>
Here are some excerpts:
- Mission:
"Smart Chromosomes.
Functional by Design."
Chromos Molecular Systems
Inc., is the world leader in the
development and commercial
application of artificial
chromosome technologies which
enable the controlled delivery
and long-term, stable expression
of large, single or multi-gene
- Technology:
Why are mammalian artificial chromosomes important?
Current techniques for inserting new genetic material
into cells to create transgenic animals or carry out
gene therapy in humans - are still at an early stage of
development. Whether genes are microinjected into a
cell or carried into cells by specially adapted
viruses, there is little control over where they go.
This lack of control of the transfection of genetic
can be transferred to the nucleus of the cell are
partially responsible for the disappointing efficiency
of current transgenic technologies and results of human
gene therapy trials. The attraction of mammalian
artificial chromosomes is that instead of being
inserted at random into the existing chromosomes of a
cell, new genes could be engineered in a separate
chromosome with its own machinery for maintenance and
replication. In addition, artificial chromosomes can be
tested for functionality and stability prior to their
use in target cells.
For mammalian artificial chromosomes to function as
independent, stable, self-replicating gene carriers and
expression platforms in the nucleus of the cell, they
must contain certain key functional elements, such as a
centromere, origins of replication and telomeres. They
must also be neutral, i.e., carrying no unknown, but
expressing, DNA, so as not to interfere with the
expression of the marker/ therapeutic genes they carry,
or with the functioning of the cell itself.
- How mammalian artificial chromosomes are made
Today, there are several groups in the world whose
research is aimed at making mammalian artificial
chromosomes. These chromosomes are not to be confused
with yeast artificial chromosomes which are useful for
helping deliver DNA into cells. While yeast chromosomes
are useful research tools, they do not replicate in
mammalian cells and therefore cannot be used as gene
delivery vectors.
Research groups are using different strategies to make
self-replicating artificial chromosomes. Most of these
are in the experimental stage.
The "top down" approach takes existing chromosomes and
breaks them up into smaller sizes using various
techniques.
The "bottom up" approach takes component parts of mouse
or human chromosomes and inserts them into a cell,
thereby allowing the cell mechanism to assemble them
back together to form an artificial chromosome.
A third approach takes various elements from viruses,
transfers them into cells and they assemble themselves
as extrachromosomal elements independent from the
cellular machinery. These are different from the two
other approaches in that they do not contain
centromeres but function outside the chromosome. For a
detailed scientific explanation of these different
approaches, see Nature Biotechnology, vol. 15, Vos,
"The simplicity of complex MACs".
A fourth approach is Chromos' SATAC artificial
chromosome.
- How Chromos' SATACTM artificial chromosomes are
made...
Best,
Olaf..
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Tolerance is wisdom's finest fruit
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