Clontech Laboratories, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc., announced the release of the iDimerize inducible dimerization systems. Based on the widely used Argent technology developed by Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. the iDimerize systems enable precise, real-time control of protein-protein interactions using specific cell-permeable chemical ligands, called dimerizers. Any cellular process that can be activated or inactivated by protein-protein interactions can be controlled in real time by dimerizers, either in vitro or in vivo, by fusing the proteins of interest to specific dimerization domains.

Carol Lou, general manager of Clontech Laboratories, Inc., comments: “Clontech has a long history of leadership in the development of technologies for understanding gene function. We are pleased to collaborate with Ariad to add the proven and established iDimerize inducible dimerization systems to our portfolio of protein expression and function control systems, which include the Tet-On 3G and Tet-Express systems for inducible gene expression and the ProteoTuner systems for inducible protein stabilization.”

The iDimerize systems are based, in part, on technology and intellectual property initially developed by faculty at Harvard and Stanford Universities and further developed and optimized by Ariad scientists to create the Argent technology. Inducible dimerization is a powerful tool to validate the specific role of a protein in disease: Over 400 scientific publications have described uses of this versatile technology in diverse research areas, including functional analysis of signalling proteins (e.g. protein kinases) and of non-signalling proteins (e.g. cell-adhesion molecules). Since dimerizers are compatible with in vivo use, numerous dimerizer-inducible mouse models of disease have also been developed.

Previously, the Argent systems were only available to academic investigators upon request through a web-based MTA programme established by Ariad. In forming their exclusive partnership, Ariad and Clontech now make these systems broadly available to all researchers for in vitro and in vivo use in the research market. Clontech plans to expand the utility of the original systems by combining them with other key core technologies, such as the Living Colors fluorescent proteins and Lenti-X viral expression systems.

Clontech Laboratories, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc., develops, manufactures, and distributes a wide range of life science research reagents under the Clontech and Takara brands.

Takara Bio Inc. is an innovative biotechnology company based in Shiga, Japan. As a world leader in biotechnology research and development, Takara Bio was the first company to market PCR technology in Japan and is also the developer of the RetroNectin reagent, which is used as a world-standard in gene therapy protocols.

Ariad's vision is to transform the lives of cancer patients with breakthrough medicines. Its mission is to discover, develop and commercialize small-molecule drugs to treat cancer in patients with the greatest and most urgent unmet medical need—aggressive cancers where current therapies are inadequate.