Blood Controls for Flow Cytometry

The quantitation of CD4+ cells in human blood by flow cytometry provides a vital tool in evaluating many human immunodeficiencies.

CD4 blood controls developed by Cytomark are stabilised preparations of human whole blood with known CD4 absolute counts. They are intended as daily run controls to ensure that sample processing, equipment and operators are all performing optimally thereby providing quality assurance in the immune monitoring of patients. CD4 blood controls are available in two clinically-relevant levels of CD4+ cells, a normal concentration and a low concentration.

Benefits of CD4 Blood Controls

• Available in two formats, CD4 Low and CD4 Normal
• Verification of monoclonal antibody and FACS reagents
• Validation of flow cytometer performance
• Validation of operator technique
• Verification of red blood cell lysis

CF04-L - CD4 Low – 1.5ml vial
CF04-N - CD4 Normal – 1.5ml vial
CF04-Duo - CD4 Low & Normal – 2 x 1.5ml vials
Click here to download the product datasheet.

Bioss - Unconjugated and Conjugated Primary Antibodies

Bioss, has a product portfolio including over 5,500 unconjugated primary antibodies. Plus a wide range of conjugated primary antibodies for flow cytometry analysis and other applications. For every primary antibody in the Bioss portfolio, the following conjugates are available: FITC, Cy3, Cy5, Cy5.5, Cy7, PE, PE-Cy3, PE-Cy5, PE-Cy7, HRP, Biotin and Gold.

To view the Bioss portfolio and sort by conjugate, species reactivity and/or application, download the catalogue in excel format here. Tested applications include ELISA, Flow Cytometry, Western Blot, IHC & IP. Species include human, mouse, rat, chicken, dog, horse, guinea pig and more.

More than 1000 of which recognise proteins with phosphorylation, acetylation, or methylation modifications. They also offer reliable loading controls and tag antibodies.

Samples Available
Some unconjugated antibodies are also available as samples – for a full list, of samples, please click here.

Popular products include:

Mouse Anti-TNF-alpha(1F6) Monoclonal Antibody
Product Code: bsm-0387m
Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF alpha) is a protein secreted by lipopolysaccharide stimulated macrophages, and causes tumour necrosis when injected into tumour bearing mice. TNF alpha is believed to mediate pathogenic shock and tissue injury associated with endotoxemia. TNF alpha causes cytolysis or cytostasis of certain transformed cells, being synergistic with interferon gamma in its cytotoxicity. Although it has little effect on many cultured normal human cells, TNF alpha appears to be directly toxic to vascular endothelial cells. Other actions of TNF alpha include stimulating growth of human fibroblasts and other cell lines, activating polymorph nuclear neutrophils and osteoclasts, and induction of interleukin 1, prostaglandin E2 and collagenase production.

Mouse Anti-PSA(PA5) Monoclonal Antibody
Product Code: bsm-1626m
Kallikreins are a subgroup of serine proteases having diverse physiological functions. Growing evidence suggests that many kallikreins are implicated in carcinogenesis and some have potential as novel cancer and other disease biomarkers. This gene is one of the fifteen kallikrein subfamily members located in a cluster on chromosome 19. Its protein product is a protease present in seminal plasma. It is thought to function normally in the liquefaction of seminal coagulum, presumably by hydrolysis of the high molecular mass seminal vesicle protein. Serum level of this protein, called PSA in the clinical setting, is useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of prostatic carcinoma.

Rabbit Anti-Caspase-8 Polyclonal Antibody
Product Code: bs-0052R
Caspases are cysteine proteases, expressed as inactive precursors that mediate apoptosis by proteolysis of specific substrates. Caspases have the ability to cleave after aspartic acid residues. There are two classes of caspases involved in apoptosis; initiators (activation by receptor cluster) and effectors (activation by mitochondrial permeability transition). Pro-apoptotic signals autocatalytically activate initiator caspases, such as Caspase 8 and Caspase 9. Activated initiator caspases then process effector caspases, such as Caspase 3 and Caspase 7, which in turn cause cell collapse.

For more information about Bioss please see their supplier page.

Autoimmune Blistering Skin Disease

MBL have launched a new CE marked ELISA Kit: An anti-type VII collagen ELISA for the diagnosis and monitoring of disease activity in patients with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA).

EBA is an autoimmune blistering skin disease characterized by the presence of IgG against Type VII Collagen. Type VII Collagen consists of a central collagenous domain flanked by an amino terminal non collagenous domain (NC1) and a carboxy terminal non collagenous domain (NC2). Major epitopes for anti-typeVII collagen autoantibodies reside in NC1 and minor epitopes in NC2 (Mei Chen et al, J.Biol. Chem. 276, p21649, 2001)

The anti-type VII collagen ELISA available from MBL recognises epitopes for autoantibodies in both the NC1 and NC2 domains and can specifically diagnose EBA patients with anti-type VII collagen autoantibodies.  In addition, Kurei et al*, have shown that this ELISA reacts only with EBA sera and not with sera from bullous pemphigoid patients. 

EBA and bullous pemphigoid are similar in terms of clinical symptoms, but the diseases are sometimes different in therapy, EBA cases often require high doses of systemic corticosteroids and a wide variety of immunosuppressants. Therefore it is important to distinguish EBA from bullous pemphigoid.  The NC1 and NC2 ELISA from MBL is more clinically relevant than the NC1 ELISA currently employed in many clinics and is useful  in the diagnosis of EBA patients.

*Please click here to see the publication by Kurei et al, demonstrating the reactivity of the anti-type VII collagen ELISA with sera from EBA and bullous pemphigoid patients.

Product Code: RG-7845E

Anti-TypeVII collagen ELISA Kit (CE Mark)

Price £244.

New Supplier of Ion Channel Blocker Peptides

Wuhan More Biotechnology Co. Ltd was founded in 2008, to provide novel peptides for use in drug development and to make gene engineering peptide technology available to the biotech and pharmaceutical research communities. 

The core technology area of the company is gene engineering, and includes peptide research, development and application. Wuhan More Biotechnology Co. works in partnership with Wuhan University, a prominent University in China for Gene Engineering, to maintain its knowledge in this core technology area.

Wuhan More Biotechnology Co. provides high quality ion channel blocker peptides to researchers. Each peptide is verified for pharmacological activity using whole cell patch-clamp experiments. Currently 26 ion channel blocker peptides are available (17 K+ Channel, 1 CI- Channel, 4 Ca2+ Channel, 2 ASIC Channels, 2 Na+ Channel), each containing between 2 to 5 pairs of disulfide bonds, purified to more than 98% and verified by mass spectrometry.

The ion channel blocker peptides available are recombinant peptides, synthesized following the analysis and subsequent construction of cDNA libraries of scorpion and sea anemone venom. The venom contains an array of enzymes and large proteins and is a rich source of toxic polypeptides containing 20-90 amino acid residues cross-linked by pairs of disulphide bridges. Most of these toxic polypeptides can specifically interact with Na+, K+, Cl-, Ca2+ ion channels to affect ion-channel function of excitable cells.

View ion channel blockers below by following their links:
K+ Channel Blockers
Cl- Channel Blockers
Na+ & Ca2+ Channel Blockers
ASIC Channel Blockers

To view Wuhan More Biotechnology’s complete range of products click here. 

VASPIN – Potential Biomarker for Obesity

Vaspin (Visceral adipose tissue-derived serpin; Serpin A12), a serine protease inhibitor (serpin), is an insulin-sensitizing adipocytokine that has been isolated from both visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissue. Based on recent findings, vaspin is suggested to regulate immune responses and inflammation and was found to be correlated with various metabolic parameters.

Human vaspin blood levels are significantly increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus and obese patients. Thus vaspin may represent a novel biomarker for obesity and impaired insulin sensitivity and might serve as a new therapeutic target of metabolic syndrome.

Vaspin (human) ELISA Kit

Sensitivity: 12 pg/ml

Range: 0.016 to 1 ng/ml

Sample type: Serum, plasma, cell culture supernatant

Product Code: AG-45A-0017EK-KI01 (1 x 96 well plate)

Product Code: AG-45A-0017TP-KI01 (2 x 96 well plate)

Product Code: AG-45A-0017PP-KI01 (5 x 96 well plate)

Download the datasheet here.

RMS Flow Cytometry Course

A residential course in Flow Cytometry for both beginners and more advanced users, held at the University of York.

16th – 20th July 2012 held at the University of York

Course Description

The course is constructed as a set of three modules. You can elect to attend the Course from between two to five days, depending on the Modules selected. The Modules consist of lectures interspersed with sessions in the laboratory. It is anticipated that instruments from three manufacturers will be available for practical work.

For Module 1, no prior knowledge of flow cytometry is assumed. It will give you a firm grounding in the basics of flow cytometry. There is also a strong emphasis on practical application and four practical sessions are included.

The later Modules assume that you have some basic knowledge of flow cytometry (which can be obtained by taking Module 1).

Module 2, Clinical Applications, will include practical sessions and lectures on applications including immunophenotyping leukaemias, quality control, applications to transplantation and blood transfusion, apoptosis, AIDS and cytokines.

Module 3, Applications in Cell Biology, will include a study of the DNA histogram and the cell cycle, measuring cell cycle kinetics in cultures and in tumours in vivo, using labelling with bromodeoxyuridine, the measurement of cell cycle related proteins, cytokines, apoptosis (including practical work) microbiology.

Download the course programme here.

For details on how to sign up for the course, please visit the RMS website.

On Wednesday 18th July we’ll be there at the exhibition trade show. Pop by and have a look at what flow products we have available. Learn about Infinicyt 1.6 the flow cytometry data manipulation software; TransFix®, a blood stabilisation solution; along with many more flow cytometry reagents. 

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Infinicyt™ - Version 1.6 Now Available

Infinicyt™ is a Flow Cytometry software that provides a revolutionary approach for data integration and multi-dimensional analysis of flow cytometry data. It allows a wide range of data analysis possibilities permitting a potentially infinite number of dimensions to be examined. Its innovative features make the analysis and interpretation of the results easier, faster and more accurate.

Merge different data files from one or more samples – multiple-tube analysis in a single step!

Calculate parameters not directly measured and multidimensional reconstruction with real and estimated data.

Integrated information is represented in an easy way with the most powerful tools for N-Colour analysis, statistics and reports.

Infinicyt™ software is provided by Cytognos, a biotechnology company committed to advancing flow cytometry through the design and development of new reagents, software and techniques.

The development of new, up-to-date software tools for the analysis and interpretation of complex multidimensional flow cytometry data, has become mandatory.

Infinicyt™ software was built in close collaboration between industry and academia through the EuroFlow project, as a new platform incorporating such required developments, in an attempt to make analysis and interpretation of flow cytometry data, easier and comprehensive. For this purpose, new and unique tools together with reference data have been incorporated into the software. Data derived from 8-colour, 10-parameter staining were employed for the design, implementation and evaluation of the developed features.

With the intention of improving the services offered to Infinicyt™ users, new tools and features have been added. New Developments in Version 1.6 include:

Manual Analysis Improvements

Batch Analysis

Compass

Click here to find out more.

See for yourself what Infinicyt™ can offer - download a one month free trial of Infinicyt™ software here.