Grounded in Epigenetics Oxford BioDynamics’ EpiSwitch technology is based on epigenetics: mechanisms that alter gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence and whose deregulation plays a role in the development of cancer, autoimmune diseases, neurologic diseases and other conditions.
Although DNA is often illustrated as a simple linear strand, the reality is that it is packaged into a complex three-dimensional structure that brings DNA sequences that are distant from each other in linear genomic space into close physical proximity. These long-range interactions, occurring both within and between gene loci, reflect genetic epistasis and the regulatory network imposed on the genome and as result directly modulate gene expression in the context of the established phenotype. An example of these conformations is shown below.
Oxford Biodynamics PLC (LON:OBD) was spun out from Oxford University in June 2007 with the aim of translating fundamental scientific advances into a commercialised platform technology and a new generation of biomarkers for cancer, ALS and other diseases.
