Development of cell-based assays

Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology

The targets identified through our genome and proteome analyses are used to develop high throughput assays for the screening of compound libraries. Currently we screen combinatorial chemical libraries using assays that simultaneously measure both antifungal activity as well as the toxicity of the substances in relation to human cells.

In addition to drug screening assays, we have developed cell-based assays to detect pyrogens (e.g. remainders of bacteria) which cause febrile reactions up to septic shock in humans. These assays are ideally suited to test medical devices or pharmaceutical formulations for the absence of pyrogens and complement or replace previous pyrogen tests.

Fields of research

  • Novel screening assay for antimycotics
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  • Cell-based test system for the detection of pyrogenic residues
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  • Virus-protection assay (Antiviral Assay, AVA)
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  • The Tissue Culture Infectious Dose50 (TCID50) and the Plaque Assay
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Projects

  • Detection of pyrogens in purified human IgG (polyclonal) samples using a specific cell-based reporter gene assay for: Talecris Biotherapeutics Inc. 8368 US 70 West, Clayton, North Carolina 27520, USA
  • Evaluation and detection of pyrogens in human IgG, plasma and alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor samples for: Talecris Biotherapeutics Inc. 8368 US 70 West, Clayton, North Carolina 27520, USA

Services

  • Fast and easy qualitative and quantitative detection of pyrogens e.g. in medical devices, such as surgical instruments, catheters, implants and also intravenously administered drugs.
  • Screening for new agonists and antagonists of the immune receptors
  • Detection of individual ligands or combination of ligands with isolated PRRs

Equipment

Good laboratory practice (GLP) test facility

  • GLP test facility (test category 9) “cell-based test systems for the determination of biological parameters“, e.g. to investigate biologicalactivity of type 1 interferons using the antiviral assay (AVA).

Publications

Burger-Kentischer, A., Abele, I. S., Finkelmeier, D., Wiesmuller, K. H., and Rupp, S. (2010): A new cell-based innate immune receptor assay for the examination of receptor activity, ligand specificity, signalling pathways and the detection of pyrogens, J Immunol Methods, 358: 93-103 (2010).