News | March 5, 2001

Data on protein interactions in humans to be available through new product from InforMax and AxCell Biosciences

Demonstration of GenoMax(TM) Protein-Protein Interaction Module and AxCell's Inter -Functional Proteomic Database(TM) Planned for CHI Genome Tri-Conference

A broad range of information related to protein-protein interactions in the human body, including data on the WW Domain, the first human protein family to be mapped successfully, will be available through a new product to be launched by InforMax, Inc. and AxCell Biosciences, a subsidiary of Cytogen Corporation.

In collaboration with AxCell Biosciences, InforMax has developed a Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) module for the GenoMax enterprise bioinformatics system, a modular platform of advanced analysis programs for genomic and proteomic applications, and successfully integrated the Inter-Functional Proteomic Database, AxCell's growing database of human protein interactions. AxCell has developed technology that provides both qualitative and quantitative information about a wide range of protein-protein interactions. This information is being used to continually update the data available through the Inter-Functional Proteomic (IFP) Database, for which InforMax has exclusive distribution rights.

The integration of GenoMax with the IFP Database will be demonstrated publicly for the first time at the CHI Genome Tri-Conference in San Francisco, CA, from March 3-9, 2001. InforMax and AxCell expect the product to be available for commercial use in the second quarter of this year. Proteins in the human body interact using signaling pathways that, in turn, regulate cellular activity such as the transmission of nerve impulses, secretion of hormones or the triggering of cell replication. Aberrations in protein interactions play a role in the progress of diseases including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and neurological disorders, among many others. Aberrations in the WW protein domain family specifically have been implicated in health problems ranging from hypertension and muscular dystrophy to immunodeficiency.

"At the heart of many diseases are disruptions or alterations in protein-protein interaction networks," said Alex Titomirov, PhD, InforMax chief executive officer and chairman. "In order to better identify the complex interacting pathways involved in most cellular processes, scientists need to visualize these protein-protein interactions and correlate them with available sequence, expression, and functional information. The integration of our software with the AxCell database will allow subscribers to use this valuable information to obtain more complete answers to biologically relevant questions."

In January 2001, AxCell announced that company scientists had completed the map of interactions in the WW Protein Domain, representing the first of the body's 60-80 protein domains to be mapped successfully. AxCell expects to make substantial progress toward complete mapping of two additional protein domains -- the PDZ and SH3 domains -- in 2001.

The PDZ and SH3 domains have been implicated in cancer, inflammatory disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke. The GenoMax Protein-Protein Interaction Module features new visual and analytical tools for the access and enhancement of the IFP data, including:

  • a Graphical Affinity Matrix Viewer that clearly identifies the matrix of protein interactions;
  • a Protein Network Viewer that identifies specific protein interaction pathways;
  • the ability to filter, sort, and cluster data to target specific relationships;
  • the ability to save selected protein networks into the Oracle database for analysis;
  • the ability to view sequence information for any molecules in a pathway; and
  • complete integration with all GenoMax modules.

"We are very excited that AxCell's findings in mapping protein interactions, including the data from the WW Domain, will be available through GenoMax. This collaboration will bring the exciting research information in the IFP database to leaders in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries as we move closer to our goal of completing the map of all human protein interactions," said Brian Bullard, AxCell vice president and chief information officer.

About InforMax
InforMax is a global leader in bioinformatics, the key enabling technology for scientists and research organizations working to understand and extract value from the massive amounts of data generated by genome sequencing. InforMax products are used by more than 1300 research organizations and more than 22,000 individual scientists worldwide (as of December 31, 2000). The Company was founded in 1990 by Alex Titomirov, PhD, with the mission to unlock value in the genomic revolution through delivery of bioinformatics software for high-throughput research and discovery. InforMax bioinformatics software solutions enable a full range of gene-to-genome analysis, interpretation and data mining. Its market-leading products include Vector NTI Suite, the most comprehensive desktop software suite available for molecular biology, Vector NTI Enterprise, and GenoMax for enterprise bioinformatics. Additional information about InforMax can be found at the company's site on the web at www.informaxinc.com .

About AxCell
AxCell Biosciences, a subsidiary of Cytogen Corporation, is a leader in the effort to chart protein signaling pathways in the human proteome as a means of discovering new drug targets. In conjunction with InforMax, AxCell is developing a proprietary protein-pathway database, the Inter-Functional Proteomic Database (IFP Database), as a discovery and development tool for subscribers in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and agricultural industries.

For additional information on AxCell Biosciences and Cytogen Corporation, visit www.axcellbio.com or www.cytogen.com

Source: InforMax, Inc.