Blogs for May 2010

PMP22 Antibodies Assist in PNS Myelin Repair Research

Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 08:03

Novus Biologicals recently added a new PMP22 antibody, conjugated to Biotin, to our antibody database. PMP22 (Peripheral Myelin Protein 22) is important to the structure of the myelin sheath in peripheral nerves, and is encoded by the PMP22 gene.

The PMP22 gene is co-expressed with MBP (myelin basic protein) genes during regeneration and development of peripheral nerves. PMP22 is expressed throughout the compact myelin component of the peripheral nervous system, being produced by Schwann cells (which also produce the closely studied Po glycoprotein). Mutations and modifications to gene levels cause various hereditary demyelinating conditions, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, Dejerine-Sottas syndrome and HNPP (Hereditary Neuropathy with liability to Pressure Palsies). A duplicate PMP22 gene will cause CMT disease, while a deleted copy causes HNPP.

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The Growing Demand for Veterinary Antibodies

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 16:06

Veterinary research is a well established and growing field for studying animal reproduction, infectious disease, cancer and more. Research of vet species often requires the production and use of vet antibodies. Novus Biologicals provides an extensive line of antibodies for veterinary research. Novus' vet antibody line includes antibodies against many vet species, including bovine, canine, chicken, equine, feline, goat, porcine and sheep.

All of Novus' vet antibodies are 100% guaranteed to work in the species and applications stated on the datasheet. Many of these veterinary antibodies are also available conjugated to a variety of labels, including fluorescent dyes and proteins, enzymes, biotin, streptavidin and more.

For more information on veterinary antibodies, or if you are interested in testing antibodies in previously untested vet species, please contact the Novus Biologicals Technical Team at technical@novusbio.com....

Why Choose Rabbit Monoclonal Antibodies?

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 07:58

What Are Rabbit Monoclonal Antibodies?

Although monoclonal antibodies are still conventionally raised against mice, using rabbits as hosts for raising monoclonal antibodies is becoming increasingly popular. We at Novus Biologicals have numerous rabbit monoclonal antibodies in our antibody catalog. The principle for making rabbit monoclonals is similar to the way mice monoclonals are produced. Hybridoma cells are created by the fusion of rabbit B-cells and fusion partner cells, a procedure similar to that of mice hosts. However, creating a transgene plasmacytoma cell line proves to be a necessary but difficult procedure to produce functional fusion partner cells. The hybridoma cells are then screened to select clones with the greatest affinity to the antigen being studied, before being purified and individualized (e.g. by...

How New Oval Stem Cell Marker Antibodies Will Benefit Hepatic Research

Friday, May 21, 2010 - 07:51

A large number of antibody suppliers supply conjugated and non-conjugated marker antibodies, targeted at specific stem cell populations. Until recently the number of oval stem cell markers was extremely limited. However, we at Novus Biologicals have succeeded in developing a new line of monoclonal antibodies specifically targeted to the murine oval cell response. These have just been added to our stem cell antibody database.

Oval stem cells are progenitors that play a major role in regenerating diseased or injured hepatic tissue. They can be stimulated into production by using a 2-AAF (2-acetylaminofluorene) /hepatic injury protocol - a combination of chemical damage and partial removal of the liver. They were first identified in rat studies, where chemical and hepatic injury techniques resulted in the activation of previously-unseen oval cells, which facilitated cell...

The Use of RNA Polymerase II Antibodies In Proteasome Regulation Studies

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 07:49

At Novus Biologicals, we recently added a new RNA Polymerase II antibody (clone 4H8) to our antibody catalog. RNAPII is an essential transcription enzyme, catalyzing the transcription of DNA during the elongation stage of mRNA synthesis (known as the RNA polymerase II elongation complex.) RNAPII transcription is commonly recognized as the primary site of gene expression in eukaryotes, and is the most studied of the RNA polymerase enzymes.

Western Blot: RNA polymerase II

The initiation phase of RNAP II requires numerous...

Use Of c-Myc Antibodies In Non-Invasive Cancer Studies

Monday, May 17, 2010 - 07:33

Novus Biologicals specializes in offering top quality antibody reagents to many of the transcription factor proteins that are widely expressed in cancer cells.

C-Myc is one of several transcription factor proteins covered by our antibody catalog. Encoded by the MYC gene, c-Myc is important for cell differentiation, proliferation, cycle progression and apoptosis. It is expressed in a number of different cancers.

The phosphorylation of c-Myc has been widely studied in order to better understand its oncogenic properties. Antibody assays have suggested a functional link between c-Myc phosphorylation at Thr58/Ser62, Glycogen...

Using Aflatoxin B1 Antibody for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Studies

Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 07:29

We at Novus Biologicals are constantly updating our antibody catalog in order to provide as comprehensive a database as possible for molecular biology researchers. Not all our antibodies are derived from proteins found in mammalian or human tissue. Some are derived from single-celled or non-eucaryotic organisms which produce harmful effects when introduced to humans or animals.

This is the case with aflatoxin antibodies. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring fungal toxin produced by the Aspergillus moulds A. flavus and A. parasiticus. At least 13 aflatoxins are known to exist in nature, with aflatoxin B1 being the most toxic to humans. Unfortunately, the A. flavus spores which produce the toxin are widely found in human habitats, commonly where grain is grown under poor conditions such as drought.

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GLO1 Antibodies for Diabetes and Cancer Studies

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - 07:27

We at Novus Biologicals are one of the leading antibody suppliers for diabetes research. An aging population, and the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes, makes it an area of increasing interest - especially as there is often a close link to cancer. Metabolic studies and diabetes research go hand-in-hand. The glyoxylase system is part of this, removing metabolic by-products that would otherwise be toxic to the cell, and as such features highly on our antibody database.

The glyoxylase enzymes are responsible for deactivating reactive oxoaldehydes, such as MGO (methylglyoxal). MGO is a normal by-product of metabolism, and is formed in several ways e.g. by spontaneous formation from dihydroxyacetone phosphate, and by enzyme action on triosephosphate isomerase. At low concentrations MGO is cytostatic (i.e. a...

Caspase Antibodies as Cancer Biomarkers

Friday, May 7, 2010 - 07:23

We at Novus Biologicals are one of the leading antibody suppliers for products targeted to apoptosis. These products are regularly used by cancer research groups - apoptosis is fundamental to developing therapies that will kill tumor cells. Caspase proteins, which play a key role in apoptosis, are therefore regularly featured in our antibody catalog.

The caspases collectively belong to the cysteine protease enzyme family, and exist normally in an inactive state, until activated. They can be divided into three groups: initiator caspases, effector caspases and cytokine processors. Initiators are the first to be activated. They then cleave the effectors, which in turn cleave and activate apoptosis-promoting proteins. The cytokine processors (CPs) are a specialized group which play a role in the inflammatory response by activating pro-inflammatory cytokine...

New MCP-1 Antibodies Released For Cancer Research

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 - 07:15

We at Novus Biologicals recently added two new MCP1 antibodies to our antibody catalog. MCP1, also known as MCAF (monocyte chemotactic and activating factor) is released by a diverse range of cell types as part of the inflammatory response. A member of the SIG (small inducible gene) family, it is selective for monocytes and basophils, mainly to recruit monocytes to injury and infection sites.

In a pathological role, MPC1 is implicated in various diseases in which monocytic infiltrates are expressed, such as atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Elevated levels have been found in joints of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, where antibody studies suggest its function is to recruit macrophages and stimulate inflammation within the joints. Elevated levels have also been found in the urine of lupus sufferers, pointing to its role in kidney inflammation.

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First Commercial TMEM97 Antibody Launched

Monday, May 3, 2010 - 07:06

We at Novus Biologicals recently created excitement when we added TMEM97 antibody to our database. We are the first antibody suppliers to offer a product targeted to TMEM97.

TMEM97 (transmembrane protein 97, also known as MAC30) is a multi-cross transmembrane protein that is widely distributed in normal tissues. It is of particular interest in cancer research, as it has been seen to be expressed in several cancers including ovarian, breast, pancreatic, renal and colonic cancers.

However, TMEM97 antibodies may also have a role to play in the study of heart disease, as TMEM97 was recently identified as one of 20 proteins that functionally regulate intracellular cholesterol levels (1). Plasma cholesterol levels, which are known to play a role in heart disease when elevated, are tightly linked to cellular levels. Researchers therefore set out to identify candidate...