Immunotherapy (weather facts) treatments evolve through studies in innate immunity
No commentsBy Davis Morris
In the past decade, enormous advances have taken place in our understanding of the immune system, which has revolutionised immunotherapy treatment. Focus has switched from fighting disease by studying antibody reactions to known pathogens; today, there is far more interest in natural immunity that which has evolved naturally.
Traditionally, research was focussed on the B and T cell response to specific pathogens - in other words, the development of antibodies through acquired immunity. This specific adaptive response to infectious diseases is well understood by most people. Where much current interest lies is in innate immunity.
Innate immunity is generally non-specific. When the body is targeted by a foreign body or other factor a broad-spectrum response is initiated, involving many proteins. Studying these proteins is of great benefit in studying non-infectious diseases such as cancer, and non-pathogen related inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis.
To take one example, research into non-pathogenic versus pathogenic SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) shows release of interferon type l (IFN-1) in pathogenic cells. Initially, it was thought differences in cell signalling between toll-like receptors (TLR) 7 and TLR-9 was the cause. However, it is now thought IFN-1 release occurs independently of this.
Antibody suppliers, like us at Novus Biologicals, provide a range of immunoglobulins targeted at proteins expressed in the SIV response. This is not restricted to TLR-7 and 9. Other proteins, such as the co-receptor CXCR6, are also involved.
Why are these products important in human research? Well, SIV is closely related to human HIV. Therefore, study of SIV-infected primates contributes tremendously to the development of anti-HIV and AIDS treatments. The TLR family, meanwhile, is used in numerous immunoassays involving the cellular immune response. At least 10 publications have cited TLR targeting as a tool in cancer therapy. Studies using the TLR-7 antibody resulted in the release of Imiquimod, a drug used in the treatment of basal cell carcinomas.
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Alternatives to embryonic stem-cell lines in antibody research
By Davis Morris
Many suppliers include a range of stem cell marker proteins on their antibody databases. Marker antibodies, such as the one selective for Podocalycin-like protein (PODXL) are widely used in research into cancers and other diseases.
The PODXL gene has a similar structure to the CD-34 ligand, and encodes to a member of the sialomucin protein group. Originally identified on epithelial podocyte cells, it has been implicated in the development of aggressive tumours, and is used as a diagnostic marker in numerous cancers, including prostate cancer and pancreatic carcinomas.
At Novus Biologicals, our PODXL TRA-1-81antibody is one of a number of cell surface marker immunoglobulins designed for embryonic stem cell research. It recognises a specific carbohydrate epitope on the PODXL protein, the antigen TRA-1-81. Involved in cell differentiation, TRA-1-81 is expressed through PODXL on the surface of embryonic stem and germ cells, and also upon the surface of adult human teratocarcinoma stem cells. Cell surface antigens are known to play an important role in the ex-pression and function of developmentally controlled cells during embryonic and tumour development. For this reason, embryonic stem cells are routinely used in cancer studies involving TRA-1-81 and other PODXL immunoglobulins.
Since no murine (mouse) immunoreactivity is seen with our TRA PODXL antibodies, human cells must be used. The area of human embryonic stem-cell (hES) research is an extremely controversial one. However, in January 2010 Mizrak, Chikhovskaya et al, of the University of Amsterdam, released a paper suggesting an alternative human adult tissue. Studies had already shown that multipotent ES-type cells could be sourced from adult mouse testes. When these experiments were repeated using tissue donated from prostate cancer patients, subcultured cells expressed hES specific carbohydrate antigens as in the mouse studies. These included TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81 both of which are on our antibody database.
This study means that human stem cell research is no longer restricted to embryonic cell lines an exciting development in an area which is historically extremely controversial.
The Article is written by novusbio.com/ providing antibody catalogue and antibodies Services. Visit http://www.novusbio.com/ for more information on novusbio.com/Products & Services___________________________Copyright information
This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety, including live links & this copyright statement must be included. Visit novusbio.com/ for more services!
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 at 5:35 pm and is filed under science. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
