BlySsed out at HGSI

As an increasing number of proteins are identified in genomics programs, the key to increasing efficiency and raising success rates will be to select the best candidates for clinical testing rather than pushing forward with every protein, or even the first protein identified in a given area.

For example, Human Genome Sciences Inc. last week published in Science the identification of B Lymphocyte Stimulator (BLyS), a member of the human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family that specifically acts on B cells to induce their proliferation and antibody secretion (see B10).BLyS was identified as the only one of thousands of secreted proteins looked at by the company that had a specific stimulatory effect on B cells...