Technology ID
TAB-4567

Conditional Cell Immortalization Plasmid for Basic Science Research

E-Numbers
E-611-2013-0
Lead Inventor
Malik, Nasir (National Inst of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Applications
Research Materials
Development Stages
Pre-Clinical (in vitro)
Research Products
Plasmids/Vectors
Lead IC
NIAMS

This technology includes a novel plasmid design for cell immortalization. It uniquely combines the conditional activation of human telomerase and c-myc genes through cumate addition, a method distinct from traditional immortalization techniques which commonly use SV40 T-antigen, telomerase, or c-myc. This plasmid also includes a GFP reporter and a puromycin resistance gene, enhancing the efficiency of the immortalization process. A significant breakthrough of this technology is its ability to immortalize neural cells like astrocytes, neurons, and Schwann cells, which have previously shown resistance to immortalization due to the constitutive expression of immortalization genes. The immortalized cell lines produced using this technology are crucial for understanding the fundamental biology of various cell types and have potential applications in drug screening. This approach's competitive advantage lies in its efficiency and effectiveness in cells traditionally challenging to immortalize.

Commercial Applications
This technology has significant potential applications in the fields of biological research and drug development, particularly in immortalizing neural cells like astrocytes, neurons, and Schwann cells, thereby advancing our understanding of their biology and facilitating drug screening processes.

Competitive Advantages
The competitive advantage of this technology lies in its unique ability to efficiently immortalize challenging cell types, such as neural cells, by combining conditional gene activation with a GFP reporter and puromycin resistance, enhancing both the effectiveness and efficiency of the immortalization process.

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Licensing Contact:
Knezevic, Vladimir
vlado.knezevic@nih.gov

Collaborations

  • Materials Available

Collaboration Description

  • We are seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize this technology.
Date Published