Princeton University  Office of Technology Licensing and Intellectual Property

Fourth Floor, New South Building

Post Office Box 36

                         Princeton, New Jersey 08544-0036

      Phone: (609) 258-7256

         tzodikov@princeton.edu

New Simple Tools, NeFRECs, for Large Scale Screens Using Small Molecules and Genomic Libraries in Stem Cell Biology and Nuclear Reprogramming,

Princeton University Invention # 05-2180

Molecular mechanisms regulating the identity of stem cells and their balance of self-renewal and differentiation are critical for proper tissue development of every organism and the development of regenerative cell therapies. Embryonic stem cell-based therapies bear some potential but are very controversial. Understanding the factors required for nuclear reprogramming might help to develop personalized stem cell therapies thereby circumventing some of the logistical and societal concerns surrounding somatic-cell nuclear transfer into oocytes.

Researchers in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University have generated new tools, Nanog Enhanced Fluorescence Reporter Cells, (NeFRECs), which allow for the easy, large-scale screening of developmental processes in murine embryonic stem and germ cells, and nuclear reprogramming.

NeFRECs simplify and speed up the screening of small molecule libraries, hormones or other chemical compounds, and genomic libraries by gain-of function (over-expression) or loss-of function (RNA interference) for the above-mentioned purposes. Since fluorescence is used, detection is amenable to a high throughput format.

 Princeton researchers have successfully applied NeFRECs to confirm known small molecules interfering with embryonic stem cell identity. Similar success was demonstrated using RNA interference against known stem cell maintenance genes. NeFRECs allow for many different culture protocols, hence, facilitating screens for a wide variety of purposes, such as maintaining stem cell identity under a diverse variety of differentiation conditions or induction of differentiation under self-renewal conditions. NeFRECs also facilitated the Princeton researchers in the derivation of embryonic germ cells from embryonic stem cells in vitro.

 Further research is ongoing in the development of additional tools and applications to better understand the molecular mechanisms of stem cell identity, regulation and nuclear reprogramming.

Princeton University is currently seeking industrial collaborators to commercialize this tool. Patent protection is pending.

For more information on Princeton University Invention # 05-2180 please contact:

Publications:

Schaniel C, Yen-Sin A, Ratnakumar K, Cormier C, James T, Bernstein E, Lemishcka I, Padison P, Smarcc1/Baf155 Couples Self-Renewal Gene Repression with Changes in Chromatin Structure in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells, Stem Cells. 2009 Sep 25

Patent Application # 20060195918, Embryonic Stem Cell Self Maintenance and Renewal Reporter, Notice of Allowance received 9/25/09.

                        Laurie Tzodikov

                        Office of Technology Licensing and Intellectual Property

                        Princeton University

                        4 New South Building

                        Princeton, NJ 08544-0036

                        (609) 258-7256

                        (609) 258-1159 fax

                        tzodikov@princeton.edu