Biomedical Frontiers: Winter 1994, Vol.1, No.2
Molecular Genetics at Columbia

By Herbert Pardes, M.D. Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Columbia University

The biotechnology and biomedical industries owe their continued evolution to advances in molecular biology and genetics. By understanding the molecular genetic component of cancer, heart disease, neurological afflictions, inborn errors of metabolism, AIDS, and other disorders, we can develop the next generation of diagnostics, devices, and therapeutics. In this issue of Biomedical Frontiers we present a special report on Molecular Genetics at Columbia to showcase some of our more recent findings in this discipline that have application for industry and the public. We highlight the identification of the oncogene for diffuse cell lymphoma, the most lethal cancer of the immune system (published in Science); a new gene-based diagnostic for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (published in the New England Journal of Medicine); our chromosome 13 mapping project; and the Wilson's Disease gene identification (published in Nature Genetics).

Besides these current and significant research landmarks, Columbia has a stellar history in this arena. Within the past year, our researchers reported their role in the identification of the Huntington's disease gene in Cell, and in the New England Journal of Medicine reported an analysis of McArdle's disease genetic heterogeneity. An update on olfaction genes initially identified here in 1991 was also in Cell last year.

In addition to being a leader in breakthrough research, Columbia science contributes to processes that support the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. The largest source of licensing income at Columbia is our patent on the co-transformation process, a method of recombinant DNA synthesis of complex proteins in mammalian cells. Johnson & Johnson and Amgen Inc. have licensed the technology to make erythropoietin while Genentech uses it for tissue plasminogen activator. Another important molecular biological instrument developed here is an electrophoresis device that allows large DNA fragment separation. Our method that facilitates rare cDNA isolation in tissues also has far-reaching application.

Since so many diseases can be subject to investigation by the tools of molecular genetics, such research is ongoing in many of Columbia's clinical and basic science departments. Indeed, our department of genetics and development ranks among the top 10 in NIH research funding. We recently recruited Dr. Claudio Stern from Oxford University to its helm.

Columbia expects to stay at the forefront of the revolution in molecular genetics and thus will play a leading role in strengthening the biomedical industry in the 21st century.