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Press Release 050509 | |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ISB Researchers Develop Method for Identifying Hundreds of Cell Surface Proteins in Single Experiment without Using Antibodies SEATTLE, May 5, 2009 – Researchers from the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) have developed a new method that identifies more cell surface proteins than the current gold standard processes, by at least an order of magnitude. The new technology, called Cell Surface Capture (CSC), uses mass spectrometry to identify cell surface proteins tagged with a chemical agent that bonds with the sugar molecules that are found coupled to most cell surface proteins. Knowledge of the cell surface protein profile is key to scientists' understanding of how cells behave and interact with each other. A paper addressing CSC was published recently in Nature Biotechnology. "Current technologies rely on antibodies that bind to target proteins on the cell surface," said Bernd Wollscheid, the researcher who developed the project at the ISB, and is now a Group Leader at the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology of ETH Zurich, Switzerland. "The problem is that very few of these antibodies exist and it's very expensive to develop new ones." "Using the CSC method, we identified hundreds of high and low abundance cell surface proteins in a single experiment as opposed to a limit of 10 or so with antibody-based methods," Wollscheid said. Worldwide, there are suitable antibody reagents available for profiling only about 320 of the many thousands of proteins estimated to be present on cell surfaces. Since cell surface proteins are used to identify cell types, the CSC technology represents an important advancement in this area, and can facilitate better cell classification through the development of protein panel "bar codes" for each cell type. As proof of principle, researchers used the CSC technology to monitor changes in well over 300 cell surface proteins as stem cells transitioned to a neural cell type, all in a single experiment, and without the need for antibodies. "This technology has the potential to significantly increase our understanding of virtually all aspects of human health and disease, including stem cell development, how cancers arise and how they progress, the functioning of the immune response to infectious disease, and tissue and organ repair following injury or damage," said Julian Watts, a senior research scientist at ISB who co-authored the work. "It also holds the potential of leading to treatments for degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease." About the Institute for Systems BiologyThe Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) is an internationally renowned, non-profit research institute headquartered in Seattle and dedicated to the study and application of systems biology. Founded by Leroy Hood, Alan Aderem and Ruedi Aebersold, ISB seeks to unravel the mysteries of human biology and identify strategies for predicting and preventing diseases such as cancer, diabetes and AIDS. ISB's systems approach integrates biology, computation and technological development, enabling scientists to analyze all elements in a biological system rather than one gene or protein at a time. Founded in 2000, the Institute has grown to 14 faculty and more than 250 staff members; an annual budget of more than $35 million; and an extensive network of academic and industrial partners. For more information about ISB, visit http://www.systemsbiology.org
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Media Inquiries Hsiao-Ching Chou Phone: 206-732-2157  |
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