|
CONTACTS:
Applied NeuroSolutions
Ellen Hoffing, President, CEO
847-573-8000
or
Monarch Communications
Jeff Siegel (Media)
516-569-4271
US Patent Issued Covering
Applied NeuroSolutions’ Mice with Human Tau
Mice with Human Tau Develop Tangles, Suffer Neuronal Death,
Just
Like Human Alzheimer’s Disease Sufferers
Vernon Hills, IL, January 24, 2007 – Applied NeuroSolutions, Inc. (OTC BB:APNS, www.appliedneurosolutions.com) today announced its founding scientist, Dr. Peter Davies, along with Dr. Karen Duff at Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH) were issued US patent number 7,161,060 entitled “Transgenic Mice Comprising a Genomic Human Tau Transgene.” The tau protein is believed to play a key role in the formation of tangles, one of the hallmark pathologies of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Applied NeuroSolutions has the right to sell mice covered by this patent through its license agreements with Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “We expect biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies will be very interested in purchasing these mice for use as a valuable model in Alzheimer’s disease research,” stated Ellen R. Hoffing, President and CEO of Applied NeuroSolutions. The Htau mice are available and the company has already begun selling breeding pairs.
The mice, known as Htau transgenic mice, have a segment of human DNA – human tau –
inserted into their genes, which causes the mice to develop the same kind of tau pathologies that are found in people with AD. For example, the Htau mice develop paired helical filaments, neurofibrillary tangles and, eventually, neuronal death. This makes Htau mice especially useful in studying the disease in laboratory settings.
Dr. Peter Davies, APNS’ founding scientist and the Burton P. and Judith Resnick Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and one of the developers of the Htau mice, said he believes the Htau mice offer important insights into the destructive processes that lead to AD.
“This patent covers mice that have normal human tau protein – Htau – rather than the various combinations of mutant human and mouse tau,” said Davies. “These mice may develop pathology by quite different mechanisms than mice with mutant form(s) of human and mouse tau, which are fairly prevalent today. Tau in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients is not mutated, and it is important that we understand how normal tau contributes to tangle formation and cell death.”
About Applied NeuroSolutions
Applied NeuroSolutions, Inc. (OTC BB: APNS - News) is developing, in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company, novel therapeutic compounds to treat and diagnostics to detect Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on discoveries originating from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Applied NeuroSolutions has discovered biomarkers that the company believes will aid in the development of effective AD treatments. Applied NeuroSolutions has also been working on both a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test and a blood test to detect AD at a very early stage. The CSF test can already differentiate AD patients from those with other diseases that have similar symptoms. There is currently no FDA approved diagnostic test to detect Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease currently afflicts over 4 million Americans, and the market for AD therapy is expected to grow to 21 million patients by 2010 in the seven major pharmaceutical markets (USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K. and Japan) according to BioPortfolio, Ltd. For more information, visit www.appliedneurosolutions.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Applied NeuroSolutions wishes to caution the readers of this press release that actual results may differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and may be adversely affected by, among other things, the risks associated with new product development and commercialization, clinical trials, intellectual property, regulatory approvals, potential competitive offerings, and access to capital. For further information, please visit the company's website at www.appliedneurosolutions.com, and review the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
|