Dr Yong Zhang, Ph.D. is a senior scientist and R&D Manager for antibody generation and assay development at Rockland Immunochemicals, Inc. who are recognised and renowned for their high quality primary antibodies, secondary antibodies and many other reagents for Life Sciences.

Dr Yong Zhang’s special focus is on collagen related products, and I’m sure you’ll find his expert tips and tricks that he kindly shares in this post very useful if you’re working with collagen immunoassays. Read on to the end, where you’ll find a selection of high quality, reliable collagen related reagents that may be very useful for your projects.

Fig 1: Structure of HA

Hyaluronic acid (Hyaluronan) belongs to the group of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), but unlike other GAGs like Heparan sulfate, Chondroitin sulfate or Keratan sulfate, it cannot be found as a proteoglycan. It represents a non-sulfated polysaccharide consisting of alternating residues of D-glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine (Fig 1). In the human umbilical cord and synovial fluid, the size of HA is reported to be about 3,000,000 Da (a flexible chain of 4000 disaccharide units).

HA is one of the major components of the extracellular matrix and it absorbs high amounts of water thus giving tissues the ability to resist compression. Furthermore, Hyaluronan contributes significantly to cell proliferation and cell migration. As HA levels often correlate with malignancy and poor prognosis of certain cancers, it can be used as a tumor marker. As Hyaluronan plays a role in skin healing, it’s a widely used ingredient of skin-care products.

Fig.1: Collagen source and Sircol assay choice.

Matrix components are key R&D elements in pharmaceutical and cosmetology with tremendous impacts on tissue regeneration, skin repair, wound healing, allergy and inflammation, surgery, ageing diseases…

Collagen, Elastin, and Proteoglycans are major components of the Extracellular Matrix (ECM) where they form highly complex networks. ECM builds up an environment which  supports  surrounding cells and plays a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication, cell adhesion, and differentiation.

The monitoring of ECM components during experimental approaches requires robust and user-friendly in vitro assays. In the past experimental methods (e.g. soluble collagen measurement) were laborious and based on the use of harmful chemicals. Today, easy-to-use and straightforward methods with colorimetric read-outs are used daily.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) was previously considered as some kind of ‘glue’, sticking cells together to form tissues, but is now a major area of research in a number of diseases, including Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs).

ECM is a dynamic biomaterial that provides strength and elasticity, as well as anchor points of interactions with cell surface receptors, and availability of growth factors. Proper formation and organisation of the ECM is essential for cell and tissue homeostasis (1).