RNS Number:8840W
Proteome Sciences PLC
9 January 2001

Proteome Sciences announces that its US Subsidiary, Intronn, has achieved a
major milestone in gene splicing using Intronn's proprietary technology
platform

Intronn LLC, a US subsidiary of Proteome Sciences plc, the AIM listed
proteomics and gene expression modification scientific research company,
provided results yesterday at the Keystone Symposium in Snowbird, Utah, USA
for the first time confirming a new event, double splicing of pre-mRNA using
Intronn's proprietary technology, spliceosome mediated mRNA transplicing
(SMaRTTM). This completes a further major milestone for the SMaRTTM technology
platform and has profound implications for modification of gene expression and
vector delivery in gene therapy.


To date, SMaRTTM has successfully repaired the mutated cystic fibrosis gene
CFTR at the mRNA level and is now being actively applied across a wide range
of other disease states including cancer, infectious diseases, and genetic
disorders, including haemophilia and dermatological conditions.


A highly simplified description of the process is that SMaRTTM employs a
flexible bullet (a pre-transplicing molecule or PTM) which can be used by any
type of gun (vector delivery systems) to deliver the content of the bullet
with extreme precision. Successfully achieving double splicing means that
SMaRT has radically reduced the size of the bullet to less than 600
nucleotides in length. This is very significant as at this size, the need for
using a vector delivery system becomes redundant as the delivery of the
flexible bullet can now be carried out by using chemistry. The PTM bullet
therefore no longer needs a gun to effect delivery of its content.


"These results complete another major milestone for Intronn and add exciting
new breadth and greater flexibility to our patented SMaRTTM technology
platform" said Gerard McGarrity, CEO at Intronn. "These results will have
applications in many fields including genomics, molecular evolution, gene
therapy and agriculture."


The results confirm that SMaRTTM technology can also be used to develop small
RNA molecular therapeutics to correct genetic defects. This has profound
implications for gene delivery and demonstrates that the complexity of
delivery through many different vector systems can now be achieved with simple
chemistry using SMaRTTM patented technology platform."


Further details pertaining to this announcement as well as additional
information about SMaRTTM and Intronn LLC can be found on Intronn's website at
intronn.com and on Proteome Sciences' website at proteome.co.uk.

                                                              9th January 2001


Enquiries:-

Proteome Sciences plc                    Tel: +44 (0)1932 865065

Christopher Pearce, Chief Executive Officer


Ikon Associates

Adrian Shaw                              Tel: +44 (0)1483 271291
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