Antibody News

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the NF1, NF2 or SMARCB1 genes which lead to tumor growth on nerves throughout the body. Although the tumors are usually benign, they still require chemotherapy to shrink and may become cancerous. Surgery is often attempted as treatment, however tumor placement on sensitive areas such as spinal cord and optic nerve make this option more difficult.

Resources

1. CTF.org 
   
2. Mayo Clinic ...

The innate immune system is responsible for reacting to viral infections through recognition of various viral components. Like toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), MDA5 recognizes double-stranded (ds) RNA which is a molecular pattern indicative of viral infection. MDA5 and its relative RIG-1 recognize different types of dsRNA, with MDA5 recognizing poly (I:C). MDA5 is a member of the DEAD/DEAH-box RNA helicase family, which all contain the conserved DEAD motif of Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp. DEAD box proteins are implicated in a number of cellular processes involving RNA secondary structure alteration - translation initiation, nuclear and mitochondrial splicing, and ribosome and spliceosome assembly. Based on their distribution patterns, some members of this family are believed to be involved in embryogenesis, spermatogenesis, and cellular growth and division. When stimulated by dsRNA, MDA5 recruits the adaptor protein VISA and ultimately activates...

Nitric oxide (NO) is an inorganic, gaseous, and reactive free radical that acts as a biologic mediator in processes such as neurotransmission, vasorelaxation, and cytotoxicity. In addition, it has antimicrobial and anti-tumoral activities. NO production is mediated by members of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) family. The NOS enzyme catalyzes the oxidization of L-arginine into L-citrulline and NO.  Several subtypes have been identified: two constitutive isoforms (type I brain/neuronal NOS, and type III endothelial) and one inducible isoform (iNOS, or type II).

Immunohistochemistry-Paraffin: iNOS Antibody

iNOS is found in a variety of cell types including macrophages, hepatocytes, synoviocytes, and...

The ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) protein is a key gatekeeper for regulating intracellular cholesterol transport. It is one member of a large family of genes comprised of cAMP-dependent anion transporter cell membrane proteins. These important proteins regulate reverse cholesterol efflux from cells into the peripheral tissues via apolipoprotein A-1 (apo). ABCA1 in particular has a diverse expression profile and is most highly expressed in macrophages. Sporstol's group performed real-time RT-PCR and immunoblotting with the ABCA1 antibody to create detailed expression pattern profiles of their identified cholesterol metabolism targets (scavenger receptor type B class I (SR-BI), ABCA1, and ABC transporter G1 (ABCG1) proteins)¹. A research group from the Cornell Medical Center used the ABCA1...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurological disease which impacts motor neurons that are involved in muscle movement throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of neurons causes weakened muscles and can lead to paralysis. There is no cure for ALS, but riluzole has been used to help with the damage to the motor neurons.

Resources:

1. ALSA.org 
   
2. Lougehrig.com 
   
3. ...

The ATG5 protein belongs to the ATG autophagy regulator family. This family controls the highly conserved cell's homeostatic response to a wide variety of both self- and foreign-originating cellular stimuli. ATG5 itself is ubiquitously expressed in most cells and most often found co-localized with the cytoplasmic non-muscle actin protein under normal resting conditions. Upon activation of apoptosis, ATG5 expression is then dramatically intensified, with ATG5 directly complexing with its ATG family members to produce autophagosomes. An intriguing application of the ATG5 antibody was done by Herd’s group where they used it to characterize the effect of silica nanomaterials on both cell uptake and toxicity in epithelial phagocytic cells¹. The antibody allowed this group to monitor the effect of physicochemical manipulation of these silica-based nanoparticles on lysosomal formation and function, autophagic like activity, and...

The cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) protein is a surface, type I membrane-embedded glycoprotein that is found on a wide range of cells: T-lymphocytes, B-cells, macrophages, granulocytes, and developmentally-dependent regions specific to the brain. It interacts with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II anti-genes, serves as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) receptor, and can initiate/augment early phase T-cell activation.  In immune-mediated and central nervous system (CNS) infectious diseases, CD4 indirectly mediates neuronal damage. There exists three identified CD4 splice variants, each encoding a different CD4 isoform: one with a predicted transmembrane (TM) region and two with predicted signal peptides.

C9RANT is a newly discovered protein-like chain that holds great potential promise as a benchmark for measuring disease activity and therapeutic response for patients with the devastating conditions of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and dementia. Mutations within a non-coding region of the C9ORF72 gene are responsible for 20-40% of cases of familial ALS¹. This class of mutations generates repetitive, high molecular weight RNA chains which are insoluble and aggregate within the brain as C9RANT accumulations. As with the tau protein in Alzheimer's disease, C9RANT is not found in either healthy people or those with other neurologic diseases.

The enzyme, aromatase, belongs to cytochrome P450 family of monooxygenases known for their key role in drug catabolism and cholesterol/steroid synthesis. Aromatase uses a heme-group as a co-factor to catalyze the formation of aromatic C18 estrogens from C19 androgens. This conversion includes that of testosterone into estradiol as well as androstenedione to estrone. Aromatase is a peripheral membrane protein. In addition to being found in the female reproductive tract and adipose tissue, it can also be found in testis, liver, and brain - as well as certain tumors including breast cancer. During ontogenesis, it plays an important role in CNS and gonad development, as well as sex differentiation. Defective aromatase leads to the aromatase excess syndrome (AEXS) and aromatase deficiency (AROD). Additionally, obesity has been linked to abnormally high aromatase expression in...

The protein ATF6 is a constitutively expressed transcription factor that is a key mediator of the unfolded protein response (UPR) that allows mammalian cells to maintain cellular homeostasis under conditions of environmental and physiological stress. ATF6 is endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane-anchored in its inactive form, and under certain stress conditions, translocates to the Golgi where it is processed into its active form through action of the S1P and S2P proteases. This regulated intramembrane proteolysis allows the activated, N-terminal ATF6 component to then translocate to the nucleus, where it binds to ER stress-response elements in ER stress-response genes (ERSRGs). Detailed experimental methods for understanding UPR and its relationship to stress-related conditions like diabetes and neurodegeneration have been worked out and are dependent on the ATF6 antibody¹.

The CIP2A protein was originally identified as p90, a cytoplasmic auto-antigen from the serum of a cancer patient. It was later found to inhibit protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity as well as interact with c-myc. CIP2A's inhibitory activity blocks c-myc phosphorylation and its subsequent proteolytic degradation, producing a stable c-myc that promotes aberrant cell growth and transformation. In addition to its role in c-Myc stabilization, CIP2A promotes anchorage-independent cell growth and in vivo tumor formation. Not surprisingly, CIP2A is overexpressed in certain human malignancies and is classified as a proto-oncogene. Pallai et al used the CIP2A antibody to follow-up some of their earlier studies on cell-type specific CIP2A expression in various cancer cell lines¹. In these later studies, they found that the transcription factors Ets1 and Elk1 modulate expression in cervical...

The protein, carbonic anhydrase IX, belongs to the carbonic anhydrase family which consists of enzymes that rapidly convert carbon dioxide and water into the end products of carbonic acid, protons, and bicarbonate ions. These enzymes play a widespread role in cells by regulating the pH of normal tissues, and are abundantly expressed in all mammalian tissues. Due to its stability and membrane location, CAIX is one of the most hypoxically-inducible genes, and has become a reliable hypoxia histochemical marker. CAIX also plays a role as an important diagnostic marker for various cancers, notably renal cell carcinoma (RCC).  A detailed multivariate analysis of prognostic factors in advanced RCC patients depended upon an antibody panel that included the CAIX antibody – this study established the utility of markers such as HIF-...