Regeneron other research news
Scientists collaborating with the company published findings that support the notion that a protein named noggin drives formation of the brain in embryos. REGN, which holds an option for the exclusive worldwide license from the University of California at Berkeley to develop noggin for marketing, has found the protein in discrete brain areas in adult animals.
Writing in Science, the researchers showed that adding noggin to tissue removed from frog embryos caused formation of neural tissue. However, fairly high doses in the micromolar range were required. By contrast, an inducer of muscle tissue, activin, works at picomolar doses, or 20 times the potency of noggin's action. Thus, some scientists remain uncertain that noggin is indeed the sole trigger for brain development, according to an accompanying editorial. ...