Mass spectrometry is a technology which is widely used in most scientific disciplines that require accurate and precise measurement of elemental and molecular components. Its use in the pharmaceutical sector is often associated with the Drug Discovery and Development process. The primordial step to analyze a sample is to perform a sample treatment to enable its study. It really requires know-how to obtain good quality results. The following tips and tricks can help you to rapidly select a protein purification strategy and to anticipate some possible problems.
How are mRNA vaccines changing drug discovery?
mRNA vaccines are developing very quickly. There are already 25 ongoing clinical trials against cancers, as well as clinical trials against infectious diseases such as HIV. Recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAB) based treatments that have lead to the most successful therapies could even switch to mRNA coding heavy and light chains for direct antibody production into the patient (as of yet still at the level of mouse models).
Indeed, messenger RNAs (mRNA) are now new biological entities to take in consideration for the development of efficient and personalized therapies. They have several advantages over conventional drugs: [Read more…]
IDO/TDO enzymatic pathway as an additional target for Cancer Drug Discovery
BPS Bioscience’s full range of products are available through tebu-bio in Europe.
As a regulator of the immune system, Immune checkpoints appear to be privileged targets In Drug Discovery and Immunotherapy research. Indeed, promising molecules tested in clinical trials and approved are giving new hope for cancer treatment. Beyond checkpoint receptors, the Enzymatic pathway also regulates the immune system and provides additional targets for Drug Development, and may increase the chances of clinical success in Cancer treatment.
In addition to already developed Immune Checkpoint Reporter cell lines (as introduced in my previous post), BPS Bioscience also provide tools to study the enzymatic pathway, such as the tryptophan catabolism pathway controlled by IDO1: The IDO / TDO pathway. [Read more…]
RayBiotech award tebu-bio as Best in Europe
RayBiotech 2017 Outstanding Distributor Award – tebu-bio Best in Europe.
At the recent meeting of all RayBiotech distributors, Isabelle Nobiron PhD (Product Specialist, tebu-bio), was proud to receive the 2017 Outstanding Distributor Award – Best in Europe.
During this meeting, which took place in Guangzhou (China), RayBiotech (Norcross, USA) also appointed tebu-bio as one of the 3 centers in the world to perform contract research for their high density arrays. Up to 1000 human proteins, 200 mouse and 67 rat biomarkers can be tested on semi-quantitative or quantitative proteomics microarray platforms.
tebu-bio has been a longstanding, recognised RayBiotech Certified Services provider, performing outsourced immunoassays at their European Headquarters situated near Paris (full range of services tebu-bio services here).
RayBiotech, Inc. develop cutting edge proteomics tools for the advancement of basic and clinical research, and the facilitation of drug and biomarker discovery. Their product-line covers 2,000+ rigorously tested ELISA tests (covered by a 90-day 100% satisfaction guarantee), Multiplex ELISA Arrays (Quantibody®), Membrane- or glass-slide Antibody Arrays (C-Series, G-Series, L-Series, E-Series), Functional assays, Research antibodies and Recombinant proteins.
tebu-bio provides their broad range of products to researchers across Europe. For more details, contact your local tebu-bio office.
Cell signalling – Nucleosomes with native structure, the next generation epigenetics tool box
Chromatin dynamics involved in gene regulation
There is a growing interest in manipulating chromatin dynamics for applications in cell signalling, drug discovery and chromatin research. Progress in this area requires the identification of design rules for the chromatin system.
DNA in cells is wrapped around proteins called histones forming structures known as nucleosomes. These nucleosomes can fold into higher ordered structures, concealing DNA within them. This reduces accessibility to the DNA and adds another layer to the regulation of gene expression. This is a new target for drug discovery.
Opening of these structures to expose the DNA is influenced, among other factors, by gene expression levels. The deregulation of gene expression levels could be responsible for many diseases possibly because proteins in charge of the burial of DNA in the nucleosomes are themselves deregulated. Studying these potential changes in gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence is known as Epigenetics, an actively expanding research field.
How can you improve your reporter gene assays?
Gene reporter assays are widely used in research and Drug Discovery. The development of such cell lines is often time-consuming and costly, sometimes upwards of 5-20k € per cell line. And once these cell lines are finally validated, why jeopardize your results with cheap and low-end detection kits? They could impact the reproducibility of your experiments in unintended and unanticipated ways. BPS Bioscience has developed two reliable and extremely powerful luciferase detection kits: the ONE-Step™ Luciferase Assay System (#60690) and the Dual Luciferase Assay System (#60683). [Read more…]
Six new reporter cellular lines for Immune checkpoint drug discovery
PD-1:PD:-L1 immune checkpoint pathway targeting immunotherapies have shown great potential for many cancer patients. Recently, The FDA has granted accelerated approval to the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda® – humanized monoclonal IgG4 antibody against human cell surface receptor PD-1) for use in some patients with advanced gastric stomach cancer (see NIH-NCI news). However, response to these treatments is not guaranteed for each patient. With the complexity of the immune system and tumour microenvironment, providing more physiological outcomes for immunotherapies is necessary. Biochemical assays alone cannot consider the functionality of the whole cell signalling pathway. Complementing them with cell-based assays provides a comprehensive approach for identifying and developing new and improved immunotherapy treatments. Cellular line engineering has simplified and accelerated the development of such immunoassays. Targets have been chosen from both immune activators and suppressors with the aim of obtaining precise control of the immune system.
BPS Bioscience have engineered 6 cellular lines, turning them into cell-based reporter assays for Human Immune Checkpoint research. I’d like to present a summary of how each cellular line functions.
Drug discovery: Immunotherapy checkpoint research for new Cancer treatments
In the last few decades, in the field of Drug Discovery, Immunotherapy has gained more and more importance for the treatment of various diseases and in particular for certain types of cancer. Based on inducing, enhancing or suppressing an immune response, this therapeutic manipulation has led to promising clinical results.
Major regulators of Immune activation, Immune checkpoints play a key role in maintaining immune homoeostasis and preventing autoimmunity. However in some cancers, these checkpoints can be used to avoid any activation of the immune response against cancer cells. Immunotherapies based on targeting immune checkpoint pathways in Drug Discovery, have already led to the development of promising molecules (Nivolumab, Pembrolizumab…) tested in clinical trials and approved, which are giving new hope for cancer treatments. [Read more…]
Pluripotent stem cells for improved reprogrammed Human Sebocytes
Following the start of our recent collaboration with Phenocell, we’re pleased to be able to provide high quality Sebocytes developed from Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Thanks to a perfectly standardized reprogramming protocol, they display lower batch to batch variability, allowing better reproducibility and accuracy of your experimental results. [Read more…]
New drug for Sickle Cell Disease targets Leukocytes
Leukocytes adhere to blood vessels as a mechanism to enter tissue where there is inflammation. Inadvertently, they pile up sickle cell red blood cells.
Mutations in the hemoglobin gene can render a person to a lifetime of sickle cell disease (SCD). While otherwise healthy individuals with one allele (gene copy) of the sickle hemoglobin (HbS) gene are carriers, the disease is seen in those with two HbS alleles – one inherited from each carrier parent. A single HbS allele can also cause SCD in a person who inherits other defects in the second hemoglobin allele.