Research Update

Proteome Sciences PLC
15 January 2002


                                PRESS RELEASE


For immediate release                              15 January 2002

INTRONN'S SMaRT GENE THERAPY CORRECTS CYSTIC FIBROSIS GENE DEFECT IN HUMAN
                               LUNG CELL MODEL

Proteome Sciences plc (Proteome Sciences), the AIM listed proteomics and
modification of gene expression company, is pleased to announce that Intronn
Inc., in which it is the major shareholder, has successfully used a new
approach to correct the gene defect that causes cystic fibrosis (CF), the most
prevalent genetic disease in the US Caucasian population.

Intronn scientists and their collaborators at the University of Iowa used
Intronn's patented SMaRT(TM) (spliceosome mediated RNA trans-splicing)
technology to correct the defect at the messenger RNA (mRNA) level.

SMaRT(TM) technology can effectively reprogram the genetic message at the mRNA
level by splicing out the mutated parts of the gene and replacing it with the
normal message by a process called trans-splicing. This targeted correction
offers several distinct advantages over conventional gene therapy approaches
for CF.

'This represents a new method to perform gene therapy,' said Gerard J.
McGarrity, President and Chief Executive Officer of Intronn. 'SMaRT(TM) offers a
new approach to target cells that naturally express the CF gene. A second
advantage is that SMaRTTM reduces the size of the gene to be delivered,
enabling the use of a wider range of gene delivery technologies.'

'The major advantage of this approach stems from the fact that the correction
will occur only in cells that have the defective mRNA,' said John Engelhardt,
Ph.D., Professor and Director of the University of Iowa Center for Gene
Therapy of Cystic Fibrosis and Other Genetic Diseases. 'In essence, the
technology allows only for correction at the cellular sites where it is
needed.' Engelhardt is the principal investigator of the study, which was
published in the January 2002 edition of Nature Biotechnology.

Using SMaRT(TM) reagents produced by scientists at Intronn, Iowa scientists
partially restored normal chloride ion transport to the mutant CFTR protein in
airway cells obtained from patients with CF. The CFTR protein normally
transports chloride ions across cell membranes to maintain electrolyte and
fluid balances in cells. Maintaining this balance is critical to remove
bacteria and mucous from the surface of the airway. The mutant CFTR protein in
CF disrupts normal ion transport. As a result, patients with CF are
susceptible to respiratory infections that can be fatal.

'We can correct the resident mRNA in two human CF model systems,' said Dr.
Engelhardt. 'We were surprised to observe much more functional correction than
we would have predicted based on the quantity of corrected mRNA and protein.
These results suggest that properly regulated CFTR expression may be more
effective in reversing CFTR abnormalities than over-expressing the protein in
the wrong cell types as in conventional gene therapy. This new technology
allows the cells' biology to dictate where the protein is expressed.'

SMaRT(TM) functions at the pre-mRNA level, allowing the cell to regulate
expression of the gene. This ensures that the right amount of protein is
produced in the right places, a major advantage over conventional gene
therapy. SMaRT(TM) has applications to other genetic diseases, viral diseases
and cancer.

Other than cystic fibrosis SMaRT(TM) technology can be applied across a wide
range of different diseases and cell types including genetic disorders,
cancers, neurodegenerative diseases and dermatologic conditions and is
currently generating successful results for Intronn in haemophilia, human
papilloma virus, cervical cancer, Alzheimers and collagen disease.

'Through delivering improvements in efficiency and specificity we expect to
see SMaRT(TM) technology being used in clinical trials relating to other gene
therapy applications either already underway or being developed' said
Christopher Pearce, Chief Executive of Proteome Sciences.

Intronn was created in March 1996 and was exclusively funded by Proteome
Sciences until its incorporation and funding in October 2001. Since then
Intronn has relocated to Maryland and is in the process of hiring the key
personnel to exploit the outstanding opportunities afforded from the SMaRTTM
technology platform in 2002.

                                     ENDS



Notes for editors:

Nature Biotechnology also published an accompanying 'News and Views' article
written by Ronald G. Crystal, M.D., Professor of Medicine at Columbia
University on the potential of SMaRT on correcting genes at the mRNA level.



In addition to Dr. Engelhardt, the research team consisted of senior author
Xiaoming Liu, D.V.M., Ph.D., Qinshi Jiang, Ph.D., Weihong Zhou, M.D. and
Yulong Zhang of the Univerity of Iowa. Dr. Jiang is now at Columbia
University. The team also included S. Gary Mansfield, Ph.D., M. Puttaraju,
Ph.D. and Lloyd G. Mitchell, M.D. of Intronn , and Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco,
M.D., Ph.D. and Jonathan Cohn, M.D., both associate professors at Duke
University.


These studies were funded by grants from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and
the National Institutes of Health.



Enquiries and further information:




Proteome Sciences plc

Christopher Pearce, Chief Executive           Tel: [phone]


Intronn Inc.

Gerard J. McGarrity, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer               Tel:      [phone]
                                      E-mail:      [e-mail]

Public Relations

Ikon Associates                    Tel: [phone]


                                  Adrian Shaw  Mobile: [phone]

                                  E-mail : [e-mail]