Immune checkpoint molecules play an important role in T cell functionality after TCR/MHC signalling. Blockade of two B7/CD28 family checkpoint molecules, CTLA-4 and PD-1, have already demonstrated excellent efficacy in increasing T cell responses to a variety of tumours. Identification of novel target and new checkpoint blockade remains a key element in Drug Discovery (See “Drug discovery: Immunotherapy checkpoint research for new Cancer treatments“). In this post, let’s take a look at the “Quantibody® Human Immune Checkpoint Molecule Array 1” for the detection of 10 Human Immune Checkpoint biomarkers.
High density Microarray services for powerful proteomics studies
In a previous post, I introduced several biomarker arrays & assays, companion tools for biomarker discovery, monitoring and quantification. Today, I will focus more specifically on high density proteomics microarrays. This post aims at helping you understand what services are available in this domain and how they could fit within your project.
Indeed, tebu-bio has just been appointed by RayBiotech as one of the 3 companies worldwide to perform contract research on their recently developed higher density proteomics tools. A good opportunity to talk about this! [Read more…]
Broad protein profiling in one shot: up to 1000 targets with L-Series
In a previous post dedicated to Quantitative arrays (Quantibody), I introduced our L-Series aimed at a broad one shot profiling of up to 1000 markers at once. This relative quantitation technology allows you to perform a first screen of your samples of interest versus a control, before you go on to targeted profiling using either pathway specific arrays, or a custom array including the targets of interest identified with the initial L-series screen. [Read more…]
How to combine advantages of ELISAs and Arrays – Target validation with Quantibody®
On your journey to Biomarker profiling, you will reach the point where you need to quantify the proteins of interest identified along the way (eg. validation of semi-quantitative array results; biomarker discovery with an initial hunch on which pathway is involved).
At this stage, you will have narrowed down the number of targets you want to look at. However, the use of ELISAs is likely to be still too costly, too time consuming, and may require too much sample volume. [Read more…]
New Human Immune Checkpoint Antibody Array
Immune checkpoint molecules play an important role in T cell functionality after TCR/MHC signaling. In fact, blockade of two B7/CD28 family checkpoint molecules, namely CTLA-4 and PD-1, have already demonstrated excellent efficacy in increasing T cell responses to a variety of tumors. [Read more…]
Best methods for Circulation miRNA profiling (cmiRNA)
We need to find biomarkers for prognostic, diagnostic and personalised treatment development. Notably to fight cancers that affect tissues. Since biopsies are invasive, it’s better to look for biomarkers in body fluids. Indeed, a simple blood sample becomes a kind of ‘liquid biopsy’ to reveal tissues affections. For 13 years, increasing interest has been shown for miRNA as biomarkers and it will last for sure. The 2 main reasons are that they are major regulators of cell processes and they are released from tissues into the blood. They are major biomarker candidates in serum and plasma. Thus, these circulating miRNA (cmiRNA) are the best hope for modern medicine. Still, a lot of research has to be done to determine the specific signature for each pathology, and also depending on the patient background. Obviously, cmiRNA profiling is a key step and requires sensitive and reproducible method. Sequencing, qRT-PCR, several kind of microarrays… Let’s explore together what the best approach could be. [Read more…]
Biomarker profiling in action
Finding new biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis or prediction is a hot area in clinical & translational research. Three recent publications are a good example of this. [Read more…]
Find metastatic biomarkers in osteosarcoma!
Early in 2015, researchers of The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute (Australia) have shown a very sensible approach to the discovery of new biomarkers associated to transition from non-metastatic tumours to metastatic tumours in osteosarcoma. Not to be a spoiler, but they found that the uPA/uPAR axis is crucial for this, and can be used as a prognostic biomarker. In fact, inhibition of this axis can inhibit the metastasis in this type of tumours. (Endo-Muñoz et al. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133592).
Model of uPA/uPAR signaling in osteosarcoma and the bone microenvironment. Source: Liliana Endo-Munoz; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133592.
I don’t want to focus on the biomarker per se, but rather, on the process that this lab followed to discover this new biomarker. [Read more…]
Find your stem cell Antibody Array
New techniques such as cDNA microarrays have enabled us to analyse global gene expression. However, almost all cell functions are executed by proteins, which cannot be studied simply through DNA and RNA techniques. In fact, experimental analysis clearly shows disparity can exist between the relative expression levels of mRNA and their corresponding proteins (1).
Therefore, analysis of the proteomic profile is critical, especially in processes that rely on secreted proteins (e.g. inflammation). The conventional approach to analysing multiple protein expression levels has been to use 2-D SDS-PAGE coupled with mass spectrometry. However, these methods are slow, expensive, labor-intensive and require specialised equipment. Moreover, these traditional methods of proteomics are not sensitive enough to detect most secreted biomarkers (typically at pg/ml concentrations).
For some years now, antibody arrays have been available to study markers and publish their discoveries in various areas like Immunology, Atherosclerosis, Inflammation, Angiogenesis, Immunoediting and even signaling pathways (ex. phosphorylation, Receptor Tyrosine Kinases…). So far, however, and in spite of the growing demand by researchers working on stem cells, there were no antibody arrays for this area of research, meaning that individual Western Blots had to be performed. But not any more! [Read more…]
How sample preparation can affect your biomarker studies (II)
In a previous post, we looked at the importance of sample preparation methods depending on the biomarker being studied (e.g. MMPs, cytokines). Today, let’s focus on cell / tissue lysates. [Read more…]