Ayoxxa Biosystems GmbH, an international biotechnology company offering a range of products and services which enable advances in translational proteomics, announced the expansion of its catalogue of kits for fully scalable multiplex protein analysis with the introduction of Lunaris Human 12-Plex Th17 Kit for the quantitative validation of soluble pro-inflammatory T helper 17 (Th17) cell-related markers. The newly introduced panel complements the already commercially available Lunaris Mouse 12-Plex Th17 Kit. In combination, these kits allow researchers to conduct comparative studies of Th17 cell activation and its effects on immune-mediated diseases from mouse model into clinical research using a single validated platform.
"With the launch of the new Lunaris Th17 Kit we have strategically expanded our portfolio of kits to further establish our platform as the technology of choice for translational research. It allows scientists to analyze disease-related biomarkers and to follow their results from laboratory models to human clinical studies, from model to man, from data to insight," said Rodney Turner, CEO of Ayoxxa. "Our growing portfolio of disease-related panels such as the new Lunaris Th17 Kits fuels the understanding of underlying complex biological mechanisms and as a result the development of related biomarker signatures and novel targets for drug development, patient stratification and monitoring."
"As the commercial partner for translational content discovery, Ayoxxa is continuously expanding its portfolio of dedicated biomarker panels with a strong focus on biological relevance and clinical deployment," said Wolfgang Kintzel, Co-CEO of Ayoxxa. "The superiority of our Lunaris system in terms of data quality, minimal sample volume requirements and scalability in combination with highest flexibility in sample sources and analytical formats, positions us as the leading company in translational protein research. We are experiencing increasing interest in our technology today and are further executing on multiple pharma and clinical panel development collaborations.
Comparable to the mouse version, the Lunaris Human 12-Plex Th17 Kits comprises a panel of highly-specific antibody pairs against CCL20, IFN-?, IL-1ß, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-17E, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-23 and TGF-ß1. These cytokines are involved in regulating the differentiation and effector functions of Th17 cells in different pathogenic conditions including autoimmune disorders, immune-mediated diseases as well as allergy, cancer, microbial defense and transplantation.
Particularly noteworthy is the opportunity to measure the active form of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1) which is not included in most comparable assays. The absence or presence of TGF-ß1, in combination with other cytokines such as IL-1ß, IL-6 or IL-23, which are also covered by this assay, regulates the differentiation of Th17 cells and is thereby important for the final outcome and character (anti-infective or pathogenic) of immune responses.
Lunaris Th17 Cell Biology Kits are optimized to run on Ayoxxa's proprietary multiplex protein analysis system Lunaris, an automated system that can be readily integrated into any laboratory routine and is optimized to provide an easy-to-use, standardized workflow from sample to result. It combines the familiarity of standard immunoassay workflow with unmatched capability for low sample volume, scalability for low- to high-throughput applications and market leading data quality. The system comprises a dedicated Lunaris reader and best-in-class Lunaris software for image-based analysis with a 100% read-out.
Lunaris kits follow a classical sandwich immunoassay principle with fluorescence readout. The BioChips and assays are painstakingly optimized using the best quality antibody-pairs to ensure the highest assay sensitivity and specificity with minimal cross-reactivity in a multiplex format. Due to the innovative BioChip format and planar geometry, Lunaris assays can be performed with sample volumes as low as 3µL - which represents only 1/10 of the volume required by comparable multiplex technologies. This low minimum volume requirement enables multiplex protein analysis from valuable and scarce sample sources.
The new Lunaris Human12-Plex Th17 Kit adds to the already existing portfolio of standardized biomarker kits for the study of inflammation and immune response, as well as assay kits optimized for an extensive range of cytokines and growth factors, and those optimized for specific application areas, such as ophthalmolog.
The dysregulation of the balance of Th17 cells and other immune cells has been associated with a variety of pathogenic conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. Th17 cells can be broadly divided into two groups, the host protective cells that express both IL-17A and IL-17F and IL-10 and the highly inflammatory population which expresses IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22 and IFN-?. Th17 cells activated by transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and IL-6 promote mucosal defense, barrier tissue integrity and curtails immunopathogenic responses, whereas IL-1ß and IL-23-activated Th17 cells have been shown to cause chronic tissue inflammation during infection, granuloma formation and autoimmune response.