Sangamo BioSciences Announces Nature Biotechnology Study Demonstrating the Use of Zinc Finger Nucleases to Generate HIV Resista...( Preclinical Animal Data Demonstrate...),Health

Preclinical Animal Data Demonstrates Promising Therapeutic Strategy for

HIV/AIDS

RICHMOND, Calif., June 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO) announced today the publication of data demonstrating that human immune system cells (CD4 T-cells) can be made resistant to HIV infection by treatment with zinc finger DNA-binding protein nucleases (ZFN(TM)). The data suggest that the ZFN approach, which results in the permanent modification of the CCR5 gene encoding an important receptor for HIV infection, is a promising strategy for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

The work, which was carried out in the laboratory of Carl June, M.D., Director of Translational Research at the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, in collaboration with Sangamo scientists, was published as an Advance Online Publication in Nature Biotechnology (http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nbt1410.html).

"A ZFN approach represents the 'next generation' of HIV-entry blocking agents and a potentially promising class of anti-HIV compounds," said, Dr. June who is the senior author of the study. "These proof of principle data, together with experience from individuals that carry a natural mutation in their CCR5 gene suggest that permanent 'knock-out' of the of CCR5 gene is important and clinically relevant for long-term resistance to HIV infection and, we believe, may prove to be more effective than temporary 'knock down' approaches based on small molecule inhibitors, antibodies, antisense or RNAi."

Sangamo's ZFNs are designed to pe
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