GenPharm International Inc. acquired rights to a transgenic mousemodel with a deficiency in the blood brain barrier that will helpresearchers study central nervous system disorders, such asAlzheimer's disease, and assess the potential toxicological effects ofexperimental drugs on the brain.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company licensed the MDR1AMouse from the Netherlands Cancer Institute, of Amsterdam, andexpects to begin marketing the model in March.

Anthony Cruz, GenPharm's product manager, said financial terms ofthe agreement with the Netherlands Cancer Institute were notdisclosed.

The mouse model will help researchers study central nervous systemdisorders by enabling them to more easily test the effect of drugs onthe brain. In addition, Cruz said the mouse can be used to studyneurotoxicology, drug transport to the brain and multi-drugresistance in cancerous tumors.

The animal model was developed by "knocking out" the mouse'smdr1a gene, which is responsible for encoding a P-glycoprotein thatprotects the central nervous system. Without the mdr1a gene, themouse's blood brain barrier, brain and nervous system cannot stopdrugs from penetrating those areas.

The mdr1a gene is similar to the human MDR gene, which not onlyprotects the human central nervous system but also is responsible forenabling tumor cells to become drug resistant.

Cruz said GenPharm already has a waiting list of private companies,academic institutions and government labs that want to use themouse models. _ Charles Craig

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