The current GENASSIST offering comprises both off-the-shelf reagents for using CRISPR editing technology and a unique kit combination of these reagents to allow customers to generate their own CRISPR-ready cell lines that constitutively express Cas9-nickase. Using such cell lines provides a quick start for customers, enabling them to make further modifications to the cell line more efficiently than if they were starting fresh each time. Horizon is also launching a new service for the design, manufacture and most importantly validation of CRISPR RNA guides, in order to maximize the likelihood that gene editing will occur as expected.
Dr Darrin M Disley, CEO, Horizon Discovery, commented: “The launch of our first CRISPR kits mark the next stage in Horizon establishing itself as the leader in the gene editing field.
"Recent advances in gene editing technology, with techniques such as rAAV, ZFN and CRISPR, have had a revolutionary effect on translational genomics. Horizon’s goal is to make these developments accessible to the wider scientific audience, through contract manufacturing, do-it-yourself products and high-end technical support services.
"As the only company who can offer all of these techniques singularly or in combination we can ensure that researchers, on their own or with our advice, can make an informed choice of which technology or combination of technologies to deploy to gain the correct answer to the biological question being asked.”
“CRISPR and Cas9 technology is making gene editing broadly accessible to researchers,” said Eric Rhodes, Horizon’s VP R&D and CTO. “Our new GENASSIST kits, combined with access to rAAV, ZFN, and CRISPR technologies, give researchers an invaluable suite of tools to determine the function of endogenous gene alterations and their effect on disease and therapeutic responses. We’re also utilizing all three technologies within Horizon to expand on our collection of over 550 X-MAN™ genetically defined cell lines and endogenous pathway reporter cell-based assay kits.”
Horizon plans to launch additional products and services in the near future as part of GENASSIST to further enable researchers working in the gene editing field.
About Horizon Discovery www.horizondiscovery.com/
Horizon Discovery Limited (Horizon) is a leading provider of research tools to support translational genomics research and the development of personalized medicines. Using GENESIS™, Horizon is able to alter almost any endogenous gene sequence of a human or mammalian cell-line quickly, reliably and without introducing unwanted and confounding genotypes and/or phenotypes.
Horizon has applied GENESIS™ to create over 550 X-MAN™ cell lines, the world’s first source of genetically-defined and patient-relevant human cell lines, accurately modeling the disease-causing mutations found in cancer patients. These ‘patients-in-a-test-tube’ are being used by academic and industry leaders to identify the effect of individual or compound genetic mutations on drug activity, patient responsiveness, and resistance, which may lead to the successful prediction of which patient sub-groups will respond to currently-available and future drug treatments. This enables the design of shorter, more focused, and less expensive clinical trials, ultimately providing the tools to identify the ‘right drugs’ for the ‘right patients’ based upon the unique genetic mutations that define their disease.
In addition to the X-MAN™ cell lines, Horizon provides GENESIS™, X-MAN™ and GENASSIST™ derived products and services, with industrial applications in: bio-pharmaceutical process optimization; clinical diagnostic development; drug discovery & development; and the provision of reference standards for genomic-based clinical research platforms.
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Contacts:
At Horizon:
Dr. Darrin M. Disley, CEO
Email: d.disley@horizondiscovery.com
Media enquiries for Horizon:
Katie Odgaard
Zyme Communications
Tel: +44 (0)7787 502 948
Email: katie.odgaard@zymecommunications.com
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Horizon Discovery launches kits and reagents for gene-editing
10 February 2014
Horizon Discovery™, a leading provider of research tools to support translational genomics and the development of personalized medicines, today announced it has launched the first products and services from its new GENASSIST™ range of gene editing kits and reagents that enable easier, robust implementation of CRISPR and rAAV gene editing experiments.