PENCE Inc. - Protein Engineering Network

www.pence.ca

PENCE reacted quickly when the SARS epidemic took Toronto, and the world, by surprise. With its existing network and expertise, PENCE rapidly mobilized $300,000 in funding for research towards the identification of validated targets for therapeutics, as well as lead compounds and libraries of drug candidates. Within days of the announcement of the SARS genome sequence, PENCE researchers had begun work on key proteins, and within 4 weeks, a series of projects had been proposed, peer-reviewed, and funded, some in conjunction with the B.C. SARS Vaccine Initiative (SAVI). PENCE researchers from across the country also quickly developed the SARS Bioinformatics Suite (www.sarsresearch.ca) to disseminate the latest information on this disease to both researchers and the general public. PENCE is actively participating in a national consortium, the Canadian SARS Research Consortium (CSRC) developed to pool the knowledge and resources of Health Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), PENCE and the Canadian Network for Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, along with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Seed funds from PENCE have led to excellent progress towards the identification of potential lead drug candidates for SARS – indeed after only one year, several papers have already been published, and several others have been submitted, one to the leading journal Science. Following a second PENCE competition, a further $444,500 has been committed to SARS research, for continuing projects as well as 2 additional ones. Further funding has also been awarded to update and maintain the SARS website as a national information resource.

In a different vein, a molecular sensing technology under development by PENCE spinoff company Sensium Technologies Inc. may one day help Canadians live longer. The technology detects interactions between DNA, carbohydrates, proteins, peptides and other small molecules. It is anticipated that researchers will use the technology to diagnose and identify those proteins that may be good drug targets. Sensium has a worldwide patent on the biosensor.

Attracting highly qualified personnel in the field of proteomics is extremely competitive. To address this, PENCE has established a new program to assist Canadian universities in recruiting outstanding young academic researchers. The PENCE-Supported Chair in Protein Science offers successful candidates up to $100,000 per annum, to be matched by their institution, for a maximum of three years. To date, this program has successfully recruited two Canadian researchers back from the United States.

Since 2001, PENCE has shifted its focus from protein engineering to also include proteomics – the study of the structure, changes, function, and location and activity of all the proteins in a cell, at each stage of its development. Estimates put the number of proteins manufactured by the human body at six, possibly even seven, figures. Through the development and support of the Canadian Proteomics Initiative (CPI) annual conference, PENCE brings together proteomics researchers from across the country to share information and data that may lead to new protein products, services and technologies.

A recent study predicted that the proteomics industry will reach US$5 billion by 2006, compared to its relatively small size of US$963 million in 2000, and the race to the forefront of proteomics research is accelerating. Potential benefits from proteomics include reductions in the drug development timeline, improvements in the efficacy of drugs by minimizing undesirable side effects, and the identification of disease onset before symptomatic damage has occurred. It is estimated that the increased efficiency in drug development resulting from proteomics will shave perhaps two to three years from the timeline and US$100-$300 million in research and early-stage development costs.

Canada is well poised to take economic advantage of advancements produced by university-industry collaborations such as this. Through a variety of collaborations, networks and initiatives, PENCE is playing a major role in leading proteomics research in Canada.

Provincial Reach:

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Distribution of Research Personnel in 2003-2004

For more information visit PENCE's Web site.