Affymetrix Genotyping Arrays Help Researchers Understand Genetic Basis of Disease
October 27 2004 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Affymetrix Genotyping Arrays Help Researchers Understand Genetic
Basis of Disease Two Plenary Sessions and Over 20 New Genetic
Studies Using Affymetrix Technology to be Presented at American
Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct.
27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, Affymetrix, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFFX)
announced that researchers attending the American Society of Human
Genetics (ASHG) annual meeting this week will present more than 20
studies using Affymetrix GeneChip(R) DNA analysis technology to
identify new genetic links to over a dozen different conditions,
including prostate cancer, Alzheimer's Disease and neural tube
defects. In addition, two of the six major plenary presentations at
ASHG will feature groundbreaking research using Affymetrix
technology, enabling scientists to look at the underlying genetics
of complex disease in more detail than ever before. Presentations
using Affymetrix technology at the ASHG meeting in Toronto include:
-- Prostate Cancer: The GeneChip Mapping 10K Array allowed
researchers to identify four regions of DNA linked to prostate
cancer that were missed by a previous microsatellite scan. In a
comparison between the 10K and microsatellite markers, genome scans
using the 10K were faster and gave more genetic information.
"Overall, the quality of the SNP genotypes generated using the
Mapping 10K was excellent," said Daniel Schaid, Ph.D., Department
of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, who led the
prostate cancer research. "We were able to complete the analytical
phase of the project in a matter of months using microarray
SNP-based genotyping, compared with years for microsatellite-based
genotyping." -- Alzheimer's Disease: Scientists from Duke
University, Vanderbilt University, and the Translational Genomics
Research Institute used the Mapping 10K to identify genes that had
not been previously linked to Alzheimer's Disease. Because of
limitations in older technologies, the newfound disease linkages to
chromosomes 2, 4, 5, and 8 had until now gone undetected. -- Neural
Tube Defects: Researchers from Duke University used the Mapping 10K
to identify the first genetic link to neural tube defects. This
often fatal deformity affects 2,500 babies every year in the United
States alone. The research team anticipates using these new
findings to identify susceptibility genes for early screening and
improved neural tube defect treatment. "Researchers are doing
extraordinary things with the Mapping 10K and are now using the
Mapping 100K to start performing whole genome association studies,
research that simply wasn't possible before. Collaborators like
ParAllele BioScience and Perlegen Sciences are breaking new ground
in large-scale genetic analysis using Affymetrix technology, and
this work will help us develop next-generation Affymetrix
genotyping products," said Greg Yap, Vice President, DNA Analysis
Products, Affymetrix. "Because researchers need more information to
drive new discovery, we are continuing to create new easy-to-use
products, including arrays to genotype up to 500,000 SNPs that will
be available in 2005." Numerous presentations made at ASHG
represent the wide range of GeneChip products and technologies that
customers are using to study genetic disease: -- Perlegen Sciences
has pioneered advanced use of Affymetrix microarray technology for
large-scale genotyping and resequencing, and was recently selected
to provide approximately 70 percent of the genotype data for the
International HapMap Project. Perlegen's plenary ASHG presentation
(Plenary No. 4) will describe allele frequencies and correlation
structure for nearly 1.6 million SNPs in each of 71 unrelated
individuals who were genotyped using Affymetrix arrays. -- The
Mapping 10K Array has become a definitive tool for genome-wide
linkage studies. The array, featured in nearly two dozen ASHG
presentations, has been used to measure changes in chromosomal copy
number, compare genetics of different human populations, and find
genes linked to conditions including cancer, neurological
disorders, developmental disorders, and metabolic disorders. -- The
Mapping 100K Array Set is the first in a family of Affymetrix
products that enable genome-wide association studies. Over 75
academic, pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers are now using
the 100K. At this year's ASHG meeting, customers including
GlaxoSmithKline and Jurilab will present work using the 100K in
pharmaceutical research. Other 100K presentations at ASHG will
include reports on association studies, population genetics, and
genome structure. Affymetrix scientists at the conference will also
discuss the future of large-scale genotyping using more than
100,000 SNPs. -- ParAllele MegAllele(TM) Genotyping Reagents are
now available in kits developed collaboratively with Affymetrix.
These kits offer a powerful and cost-effective solution for
customers to genotype any SNPs they choose in their own labs.
ParAllele and Baylor College of Medicine will present a plenary
session (Plenary No. 3) describing high-density genotyping and
mapping in chromosome 12 using MegAllele reagents and Affymetrix
arrays. -- CustomSeq(TM) Resequencing Arrays will also be featured
in research presented at ASHG. Researchers from the University of
Tuebingen and the Gregor Mendel Laboratory, Germany, will report
using the array to sequence the complete CFTR gene, allowing rapid
identification of the 1,000 or more mutations known to cause cystic
fibrosis. Additionally, researchers from the University of Michigan
and the National Institutes of Health will report using CustomSeq
to identify gene mutations known to cause autosomal recessive
retinitis pigmentosa. About Affymetrix: Affymetrix is a pioneer in
creating breakthrough tools that are driving the genomic
revolution. By applying the principles of semiconductor technology
to the life sciences, Affymetrix develops and commercializes
systems that enable scientists to improve quality of life. The
Company's customers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology,
agrichemical, diagnostics and consumer products companies as well
as academic, government and other non-profit research institutes.
Affymetrix offers an expanding portfolio of integrated products and
services, including its integrated GeneChip brand platform, to
address growing markets focused on understanding the relationship
between genes and human health. Additional information on
Affymetrix can be found at http://www.affymetrix.com/. All
statements in this press release that are not historical are
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act as amended, including statements
regarding Affymetrix' "expectations," "beliefs," "hopes,"
"intentions," "strategies" or the like. Such statements are subject
to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially for Affymetrix from those projected, including,
but not limited to risks of the Company's ability to achieve and
sustain higher levels of revenue, higher gross margins, reduced
operating expenses, uncertainties relating to technological
approaches, manufacturing, product development (including
uncertainties relating to the development of the 500K SNP
microarray), market acceptance (including uncertainties relating to
product development, use and market acceptance of the GeneChip(R)
Mapping 10K Array, GeneChip(R) Mapping 100K Array or GeneChip
CustomSeq(TM) Resequencing Array), personnel retention,
uncertainties related to cost and pricing of Affymetrix products,
dependence on collaborative partners, uncertainties relating to
sole source suppliers, uncertainties relating to FDA and other
regulatory approvals, competition, risks relating to intellectual
property of others and the uncertainties of patent protection and
litigation. These and other risk factors are discussed in
Affymetrix' Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 and
other SEC reports, including its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for
subsequent quarterly periods. Affymetrix expressly disclaims any
obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or
revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to
reflect any change in Affymetrix' expectations with regard thereto
or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any
such statements are based. DATASOURCE: Affymetrix, Inc. CONTACT:
media, Wes Conard, Associate Director, Public Relations, +1-
408-731-5791, or investors, Doug Farrell, Vice President, Investor
Relations, +1-408-731-5285, both of Affymetrix Web site:
http://www.affymetrix.com/
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