Novus Biologicals | Antibody News

Tumor necrosis factor alpha has been shown to be important in the cellular response to chronic heart failure, with signaling taking place through the receptor isotypes TNFR1 and TNFR2. We at Novus Biologicals have a large number of TNF-related antibodies in our database. Many of today’s studies are based on information gained by Defer et al. in 2007.

The study set out to further define the TNFR1/2 signaling pathways in rat cardiac myocytes, and used a range of antibody preparations. These included phosphorylated rabbit polyclonal antibodies (including phospho-p44/p42, phospho-MSK1 and phospho-cPLA2); monoclonal anti-cPLA2 antibodies; rabbit polyclonal actin antibody; Peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-rabbit and anti-mouse IgG, and FITC-conjugated donkey anti-mouse antibody.

Cardiac myocytes were isolated from treated and control rats, and a range of assays were performed. These included measurement of [Ca2+] levels and cell fractional shortening; Measurement of ROS production and measurement of cell survival using TNFR1 or TNFR2 antibodies +/- TNFα.

Immunoblot analysis was performed to visualize peroxidase activity, using conjugated goat anti-rabbit or anti-mouse antibodies. IHC analysis of myocytes was also performed, incubating first with mouse monoclonal cPLA2 antibodies, and then FITC-conjugated donkey anti-mouse antibodies. Laser image scanning was also performed of TNFα, +/- anti-TNFR1 or TNFR2 Mab antibodies.

The results showed that TNFR1 activated production of reactive oxygen species, and had both positive and negative effects on calcium handling, fractional shortening and cell death. In contrast, TNFR2 played a cell-survival role by inhibiting ROS production and apoptosis.

Treatment with neutralizing TNFR1 antibodies revealed a positive TNFR2 effect on cell fractional shortening and [Ca2+] handling. There was a close interplay between the TNFR1 and TNFR2 pathways. Although TNFR1 signaling predominated, it was under the mediation of TNFR2, which played a limiting role.

The CD44 family comprises a number of immunologically similar glycoproteins, which are expressed on the membranes of endothelial, mesenchymal, leukocyte and hepatocyte cells. The CD44 family has a number of functions. CD44 antibody assays have shown some that some isoforms play a role in abnormal gene splicing in human cells. Understanding this splicing mechanism is the key to many cancer research programs, hence we at Novus Biologicals have a broad range of conjugated and non-conjugated CD44 antibodies in the cancer section of our antibody catalog.

In immunobiology, CD44 is a valuable marker for memory cells, since B-cell and T-cell activation in the immune response leads to high expression of CD44. The protein is bound to hyaluronic acid in the extracellular matrix. When an antigen triggers the immune response and activates the T-helper cells, CD44 activity is increased by upregulation. However, despite its usefulness as a marker protein, its role in the immune response has remained elusive.

Recently, scientists at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute discovered that CD44 can assist a specific subset of T-helper cells, Th1, to actualise immunologic memory. The study showed that in the absence of CD44, Th1 cells tagged to an influenza virus fragment underwent rapid autophagy, thus blocking the development of immunologic memory.

Conducting IHC analysis using Fas antibodies and CD44 antibodies, the team further showed that CD44 played an anti-apoptotic role when cell death was initiated by the Fas receptor. The study also demonstrated that anti-apoptosis could be modulated by antibodies capable of regulating CD44 signaling.

T-cells can have pathogenic effects on the body by overexpression of cytokines. It was suggested CD44 may have a therapeutic role to play in this.

We at Novus Biologicals have a large number of products in our antibody database which are used for metabolic research. A new Adropin antibody is a recent addition, and is used in obesity research. Although not life-threatening in its own right, obesity – as we all know – can lead to a host of more serious illnesses including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

The role of adropin is to regulate lipid metabolism and control glucose homeostasis. It is encoded by the ENHO (Energy Homeostasis Associated) gene, and is found in the liver and brain. Studies have shown the protein levels rise in response to the intake of fatty foods, and fall during fasting. This makes adropin one of the first proteins proven to react directly to dietary fat intake.

Now, it has been suggested adropin could hold the key to preventing onset of diabetes. Obese mice are normally unable to metabolize adropin. However, genetically obese animals that were given it in dosage form responded better to insulin and had less fatty livers than the controls. The benefits were seen long before they began losing weight. A synthetic version of the peptide gave similar results to that derived from in vivo sources.

These results suggest that adropin could be a useful therapeutic tool, but there is still a lot to learn. For example, since it is produced in both the liver and the brain, it would be interesting to see if there is a connection. Recently, we at Novus Biologicals, antibodies suppliers tested a new batch of rabbit polyclonal anti-adropin antibody in our lab, using human brain lystate as the substrate. It will be interesting to see if obesity really is “all in the mind.”