ZenBio, Inc. Awarded Grant To Provide Human Breast Cancer Cell System

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 18 Sep 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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ZenBio, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, announced that it has been awarded a Phase I SBIR grant to provide a unique human primary cell system for breast cancer research. The $200,000 award from the National Institutes of Health will fund the isolation and culturing of primary human basal and luminal mammary ductal cells for the development of a donor-matched cell system.

The majority of breast cancers originate in the ductal cells comprised of two main cell types: the inner luminal cells surrounded by basal myoepithelium. These cell types are the precursors to various forms of breast cancer making it important to study them independently and in co-culture systems. Current methods for culturing human mammary epithelial cells select for basal cells so there are no commercial sources of quality-controlled, matched basal and luminal cells from individual donors. This SBIR grant award will allow ZenBio to provide a much needed and well characterized cell system to the cancer research community.

"This grant from the National Cancer Institute gives us the opportunity to provide a tool not currently available to cancer researchers", stated Peter Pieraccini, President and CEO of ZenBio. "Investigating the interaction between the two cell types may lead to novel treatments and therapies that will benefit a great number of breast cancer patients."

Zen-Bio, Inc. is a leading provider of research tools for the study of human metabolic disease. The company, founded in 1995 performs contract research for major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies around the world. The company pioneered tissue engineering with adult adipose-derived stem cells and is currently researching the role obesity plays in the development and onset of metabolic disease. Its mission is to provide the highest quality cells, reagents and contract services to the biomedical research community; to develop and commercialize research tools; and to leverage its expertise in this field into successful treatments for metabolic diseases through research and development and strategic alliances. For more information visit the company website at http://www.zen-bio.com or call (919)-547-0692; 1-866-ADIPOSE or e-mail Peter Pieraccini peter@zenbio.com.

Zen-Bio, Inc.