Rosetta Genomics transfers project with Isis to Regulus

Rosetta Genomics, a US firm specializing on the development of microRNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics, has transferred its microRNA-based liver cancer therapeutics project with Isis Pharmaceuticals to Regulus Therapeutics, a joint venture between Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Isis focused on the development of microRNA-based therapeutics. Regulus and Rosetta will continue collaborating under the same terms and conditions.

The project, partially funded by the Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, is focused on the development of microRNA-based therapeutics for hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer.

MicroRNAs are recently-discovered, naturally-occurring, small RNAs that act as master regulators and have the potential to form the basis for a new class of diagnostics and therapeutics. Since many diseases are caused by the abnormal activity of proteins, the ability to selectively regulate protein activity through microRNAs could provide the means to treat a wide range of human diseases. In addition, Rosetta explains, microRNAs have been shown to have different expression in various pathological conditions. As a result, these differences may provide for a novel diagnostic strategy for many diseases.