New Assay Panel Enables Non-Invasive Kidney Transplantation Immune
Response and Tolerance Studies
Invitrogen, part of Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:LIFE), today
announced the global availability of a new biomarker tool for use in
pre-clinical research into kidney function. The PlexMark™ 3 Renal
Biomarker Panel Assay is a non-invasive and cost-effective research tool
for performing kidney function post-transplantation studies rapidly and
easily. The introduction of this research tool is expected to assist in
the development of studies which may lead to more effective methods used
to monitor kidney health in transplant research.
This new assay provides researchers with an alternative to invasive and
expensive procedures, such as biopsies used to obtain kidney tissue
samples to allow for research into kidney function,
post-transplantation. The PlexMark 3 Renal Biomarker Panel Assay
measures levels of cytokines,
chemokines and receptor levels in urine, which enable researchers to
better understand immune function and response. This may lead to the
development of new, non-invasive tests to better understand and monitor
kidney function and health, following transplant procedures.
The PlexMark assay uses Luminex®
xMAP®, multiplexing technology for bioassay analysis, in
a standard immunoassay format to offer ease-of-use, sensitivity and
rapid, reproducible results. The biomarkers in the PlexMark panel assay
are licensed from Renovar
Inc., a pioneer in the development of new tools for assessing kidney
inflammation for numerous clinical indications.
Dr. Brian D. Shames, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of
Transplant Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin
“Development of a non-invasive test that could help differentiate
between acute renal injury, rejection, and infection would satisfy a
critical unmet need in transplantation. A biomarker test that can
accomplish this would be of extreme importance in pre-clinical kidney
transplantation research.”
Jim Janicki, Vice President and General Manager of Life Technologies’
Transplantation Diagnostics Business
“The launch of the PlexMark assay represents the continued expansion of
our pre-clinical research business.
