Sigma® Life Science, Autism Speaks to Present Key Data on the Behavior of the First Knockout Rat Models of Autism

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sigma-Aldrich® Corporation (Nasdaq: SIAL) today announced that Sigma Advanced Genetic Engineering (SAGETM) Labs, an initiative of Sigma Life Science, in partnership with Autism Speaks, will present data on the biological and behavioral characterization of the first rats genetically engineered to model autism. The novel rat models of autism mimic specific symptoms and pathologies of autism to provide an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the underlying biology and therapeutic targets for autism spectrum disorders. Results of the initial experiments characterizing these models will be presented by Professor Richard E. Paylor, Ph.D., from Baylor College of Medicine with additional details on the importance and creation of the models by Robert Ring, Ph.D., Vice President of Translational Research at Autism Speaks, and Edward Weinstein, Ph.D., Director of SAGE Labs, on November 15, 2011 at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. Details on the symposium are available below, as well as at www.sigma.com/sfn2011.

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Autism affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans and tens of millions more people worldwide, with US government statistics suggesting diagnoses are increasing annually by 10 to 17%. The cause and underlying neurobiology of autism remains poorly understood. Strong evidence does exist for a genetic basis of autism, prompting development of mice that model the genetic mutations found in autistic humans. However, the mouse's utility for autism research is restricted because the species' limited cognitive abilities and small behavioral repertoire often do not adequately reflect the behaviors or biology of humans with autism.

"The robust behavioral repertoire, similarities with human physiology, and sheer size contrast with mice, making rats an attractive model species for investigating neurodevelopmental disorders like autism," said Ring who added, "Developing these genetic models in rats has additional advantages from a translational research perspective in that they enable investigators to study the effects of novel treatments on autism relevant phenotypes in the same species traditional pharmacokinetics, metabolism and toxicology are studied to support the drug development process."

The knockout autism model rats were co-developed in a collaboration between scientists at SAGE Labs and Autism Speaks. The rats mimic specific symptoms of autism spectrum disorder because they are each genetically engineered to lack one of seven genes associated with the autism spectrum disorders: Fmr1, Neuroligin 3, Neurexin 1 alpha, Cav1.2, MeCP2, mGluR5, or PTEN. These rats will be available to all researchers through SAGE Labs by early 2012.

Scientists at SAGE Labs created the transgenic autism model rats through the SAGEspeed™ model creation process, which uses Sigma's proprietary CompoZr® zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology. CompoZr ZFN technology enables highly efficient, targeted editing of the genome of any species—previously impossible for complex species other than mice.

"One can use CompoZr ZFN technology to rapidly generate a genetic disease model in the species that is the best model for that condition, instead of relying only upon the mouse," said Weinstein.

In a separate collaboration with The Michael J. Fox Foundation, scientists at SAGE Labs created transgenic rats that are the first animal models of Parkinson's disease to tremor as humans do. Other transgenic research models created by SAGE Labs include rats for Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, cancer, and cardiovascular disease research, as well as rats for toxicology testing in drug development.

SAGE Labs' model generation services are available for rats, mice, rabbits, and other organisms. For more information, visit www.sageresearchmodels.com.

Cautionary Statement: The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "expected," "ideally suited" or similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding potential future revenues from products derived therefrom. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of management regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that the autism model rats will assist the Company to achieve any particular levels of revenue in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding products associated with the autism model rats could be affected by, among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the Company's ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection; competition in general; government, industry and general public pricing pressures; the impact that the foregoing factors could have on the values attributed to the Company's assets and liabilities as recorded in its consolidated balance sheet, and other risks and factors referred to in Sigma-Aldrich's current Form 10-K on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Sigma-Aldrich is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Sigma Life Science: Sigma Life Science is a Sigma-Aldrich business that represents the Company's leadership in innovative biological products and services for the global life science market and offers an array of biologically-rich products and reagents that researchers use in scientific investigation. Product areas include biomolecules, genomics and functional genomics, cells and cell-based assays, transgenics, protein assays, stem cell research, epigenetics and custom services/oligonucleotides. Sigma Life Science also provides an extensive range critical bioessentials like biochemicals, antibiotics, buffers, carbohydrates, enzymes, forensic tools, hematology and histology, nucleotides, amino acids and their derivatives, and cell culture media.

About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Our biochemical and organic chemical products and kits are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other high technology manufacturing.  We have customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals and in industry.  Over one million scientists and technologists use our products.  Sigma-Aldrich operates in 40 countries and has over 8,300 employees providing excellent service worldwide.  We are committed to accelerating our Customers' success through leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service.  For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit our award winning web site at www.sigma-aldrich.com.

Sigma-Aldrich and Sigma are trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Co, LLC registered in the US and other countries.  CompoZr is a registered trademark of Sigma-Aldrich Co, LLC. SAGE and SAGEspeed are trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Co, LLC.

SOURCE Sigma-Aldrich Corporation

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