Elaina Ledoyen
I am a high school student studying nutrition. Knowing about diets all day have triggered the violent foodie hidden within. I love blogging about new places.
Sandwich ELISA Technique: Learn All About the Process and Its Application. When researchers are working with a completely unknown sample, they use the sandwich ELISA technique to detect the presence of target antigens and measure their concentration in the sample.
This is because the sandwich ELISA technique offers superior sensitivity and greater durability, which together make it an excellent diagnostic tool for medical processes. Clearing the Basics: All You Need to Know About Immunoassay and ELISA. Immunoassays have been extensively used in research, clinics, hospitals, and medical laboratories over the last forty years.
Clinical immunoassay testing has led to various discoveries and innovations that have shortened the hospital stays of many patients. Immunoassay testing helps assess the progression of disease in the human body, which in turn facilitates better therapeutic decisions. Potential mRNA vaccine for MS - Marin Biologic Laboratories. Potential Multiple Sclerosis mRNA Vaccine BioNTech in Germany is one of two companies (the other being Moderna in the US) that have successfully developed mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.
BioNTech has now published research1 done in collaboration with researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz, Germany) demonstrating in mice that another mRNA vaccine it has developed may eventually become a successful treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans. MS is an often disabling, although rarely fatal, autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system in which autoreactive T lymphocyte cells of the immune system erroneously attack and damage the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects nerve cells. There is no current cure for the disorder, which is experienced by an estimated 1 million persons in the US, with women three times more likely to contract MS than men. Existing treatments systemically suppress the immune system. COVID-19 Vaccines Protect Against 2 SARS-CoV-2 Variants.
Efficacy of mRNA vaccines on SARS-CoV-2 variants (UK and South Africa) Detection of mutations arising in the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19 have led to concerns that new forms of the virus might enable it to evade the protection conferred by recently approved mRNA vaccines.
Two strains in particular, B.1.1.7 from England and B.1.351 from South Africa, are driving the unease. B.1.1.7, first reported in September 2020, has been shown to be more transmissible than the previous strain and is spreading globally. The South African mutant was reported in mid-December 2020 by health authorities there as becoming the chief variant, an indication of heightened transmissibility. This strain garnered additional attention because the portion of Novavax’s Phase 3 vaccine trial conducted in South Africa showed noticeably lower efficacy there than in the UK portion. Are Cell-Based Assays Reliable and in Concordance for Antibody Monitoring?
Several cell-based assays are now being used to determine the correlates of protection in groups and individuals with symptomatic COVID-19 immunity and vaccine reactions.
The cell-based assays have demonstrated high levels of concordance with living as well as pseudotyped virions of the novel coronavirus. For a return to normalcy and the resumption of economic activity across the globe, national borders will need to be reopened and businesses will have to start functioning as before. However, for this to happen, safe and effective vaccines, as well as other treatment modalities, will have to be developed and implemented as soon as possible. The Various Uses of ELISA Method in the Industry. Things to Consider Before Getting Transfection Services from Laboratories. Transfection refers to the introduction of nucleic acid straight into eukaryotic cells by implementing non-viral methods.
Essentially, it’s a gene transfer process that makes use of various physical and chemical methods to facilitate the study of protein as well as gene function within a cellular environment. When looking to rely on laboratory-based tests for getting transfection services, few things play quite a significant role. Among all others, the important ones include Cell Health, DNA quality, confluency, serum, antibiotics, and others. Effective Ways to Reduce Cell-Based Assay Development Time. The successful development and use of cell-based assays can have a huge impact on the cost-effectiveness of pharmaceutical research.
Evaluating the biological effects of chemical compounds requires multiple different types of approaches, including molecular, cellular, and biochemical. The first step towards such evaluation includes the successful execution of cell-based and in vitro assays. The assay readouts thus obtained are relevant to disease identification, human health, therapeutic methodologies, and drug development. How Coronavirus Vaccines Work? Different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection, but with all types of vaccines, the body is left with a supply of “memory” cells that will remember how to fight that virus in the future.
The two front-runner COVID-19 vaccines, developed by the drug companies Pfizer and Moderna, are made with a technology that has been tested but never before licensed for a vaccine in the U.S. This is called messenger RNA, or mRNA. Transfection Guide: A Comprehensive Overview of the Different Methods Used in Laboratories. Transfection is a general technique for cell culture, which is frequently used in the research and development of a drug.
In in-vitro transfection, cargo molecules, such as the RNA and DNA, are delivered to the cultured cells. In in-vitro transfection, cargo molecules, like plasmid DNA and therapeutic siRNA, are delivered to the target tissue. We can find commercial transfection products for in vivo and in-vitro transfection or utilize the transfection services offered by CROs. Usually, there are multiple transfection methods carried out through techniques like calcium phosphate exposure, electroporation, and liposome-based transfection. In this article, we have discussed the transfection methods utilized in laboratories.
What are the Different Types of ELISA Assays Commonly Used by Researchers? Why is SARS-CoV-2 so virulent? - Marin Biologic Laboratories. SARS-CoV-2 is more virulent than SARS-CoV (identified in 2003), because it binds to host cells with greater affinity, and more recently (see below) uses another receptor to increase virus uptake into cells.
The second binding receptor, Neuropilin-1, (NRP1) has been discovered for the SARS-CoV-2 (1). This receptor is more prevalent on more tissues than the ACE2 receptor. NRP1 is not only in the lining of the respiratory tract but also in the lining of blood vessels and the surface of neurons. This additional avenue of infection may help to explain why SARS-CoV-2 is so much more ineffective and transmissible than other coronaviruses and how it is able to infect organs outside the respiratory system, e.g., the brain and heart. Binding of SARS-CoV-2 to Neuropilin-1 Now it is known that once the Spike protein (S) binds to the ACE2, it is cleaved into 2 non-convalently associated subunits, S1 and S2. . (1) Daly JL, Simonetti B, Klein K, et al.
Why Not Just Buy a Kit? - Marin Biologic Laboratories. Some kits are suitable, but will they fit your purpose? Should you use a kit for an ELISA, cell based assay, and enzyme assay or even a PCR project? Some kits are appropriate for certain applications. Which ELISA Technique is Best Suited for You? Tips for Performing a Successful ELISA Assay. High-quality and accurate ELISA assays can be used for drug discovery, disease diagnosis, and several other purposes in the field of medicine.
However, performing a successful ELISA assay is no easy task, and the best option is to seek the help of experienced professionals. PCR and qPCR testing services. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) specifically amplifies DNA while Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (QPCR) amplifies DNA in a quantitative way. Using a technique called reverse transcription (RT) (with the use of a reverse transcriptase enzyme) RNA can also be amplified.
First the RNA is purified, then Reverse Transcribed into complementary double stranded DNA and subsequently, the DNA is amplified and quantified by QPCR. This method, RNA, to DNA, to quantification is termed QRT-PCR. The QRT-PCR measures RNA at any one time providing the vital method to measure gene expression in eukaryotic or bacteria cells and amplification of viral RNA. To avoid confusion, QPCR is also called real-time PCR because the amplification of DNA is detected as it progresses in Real Time using a fluorescent reporter. Vaccine Development Strategies to SARS-CoV-2. Vaccine development is protracted and risky. On average, vaccines take more than 10 years to move from the preclinical phase to approval, and the probability of market entry for any given candidate has been just 6%.
With 140 COVID-19 vaccines currently in development, 13 of which are already in human trials, it is extremely likely then that multiple candidates will eventually be approved, but the question is, how long will this take? Four basic vaccine strategies are being employed across these 140. Multiplex Cytokine Measurement Analysis - Marin Biologic Laboratories. Cytokines are a broad and loose category of small proteins (5-20 kDa molecular weight) important in cell signaling, particularly in the regulation of immune system responses to infection and inflammation. Cytokines are peptides and cannot cross the lipid bilayer of cells to enter the cytoplasm. They communicate by signaling through cell surface receptors. Cytokines have been shown to be involved in autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine signaling pathways.
Although secreted, cytokines are not considered to be hormones. Immunity Arising from Viral Infection - Marin Biologic Laboratories. Innate Immunity and Adaptive Immunity Innate immunity is the initial immune response to infectious agents, carried out mainly by granulocytes and macrophages. These include a variety of responses that are genetically hard-wired to mount a quick response to families of molecules common to classes of pathogens.
Adaptive (or acquired) immunity creates immunological memory after an initial response to a specific pathogen, leading to an enhanced response to subsequent encounters with that same pathogen. Tips for Performing a Successful Cell-Based Assay. Mechanisms of Immune Response to Viral Infection. T Cell and Innate Immune Responses to Viral Infection – Implications for the Pandemic While much of the focus on treating COVID-19 and preventing its spread has been on antibodies, emerging research is indicating that T cells of the adaptive immune system are equally important to not only disease resistance and vaccine development but also to epidemiological tracking. Researchers at Karolinska Institute assert that recent T cell immunity testing done in a study there reveals that the number of COVID-19 cases is about double what estimates made based on earlier seroprevalence antibody testing had indicated.
Results just released from a T cell immunity study from Germany suggests that perhaps 80% of the population may carry COVID-19 resistance acquired from exposure to some of the other four coronaviruses that cause common colds. Immune System Background. WHY DO YOU NEED PCR & QPCR. BACKGROUND: With the discovery of DNA polymerase in 1956, an enzyme that replicates DNA, a new world of science was opened. The Various ELISA Assays that Can Help Determine a COVID-19 Diagnosis. Antibody Testing for Covid-19: Revealing the Extent Of Covid-19 Spread. Covid-19 Pandemic: How ELISA Assays Can Help Transform Drugs from a Concept to a Commercial Product. The Role of Cell-Based Assays in Drug Discovery and Development. Every year, billions are invested by governments and businesses around the world for the clinical approval and testing of novel drug compounds. Despite this, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only approves a handful of new chemical entities for production and sale each year.
Cell Based Assays, Bioassays Service - Marin Biologic Laboratories. A Comprehensive Analysis of ELISA Assays and their Benefits. Covid-19: How Marin Biologic Laboratories Can Help With Testing. To stem the ever-increasing cases of the Coronavirus pandemic, we need diagnostic tests that can be performed quickly, and we need a vaccine. Both research & development endeavors take valuable time. With the advent of a quick COVID-19 diagnostic test, the spread of this pandemic disease can be ameliorated. With the development of a vaccine, further outbreaks can be prevented. Vaccine development requires (1) identification of an immunogenic relevant protein or other relevant component for transmission, (2) manufacture of the relevant antigen(s), (3) testing in animals to show an immune response, B cell or T cell, (4) demonstration that the immune response is protective. Flow Cytometry Services: A Comprehensive Overview. The Various ELISA Assay Techniques – A Comprehensive Guide.
Mixed Lymphocyte Reaction (MLR) Bioassays at Marin Biologic Laboratories. MLR bioassays are requested by the US FDA to monitor immune responses with new agents, as tested with in vitro cultured human lymphocytes obtained from multiple blood donors via MarinBio’s phlebotomists.