Skip to main content

All of These

Latest Innovations
Therapeutic Scheme for Human Basigin Cancer researchers are focusing their efforts on identifying central pathways that trigger or enhance the invasiveness of tumor cells. One such target is EMMPRIN (... Read More Cancer researchers are focusing their efforts on identifying central pathways that trigger or enhance the invasiveness of tumor cells. One such target is EMMPRIN (Extracellular Matrix Metalloproteinase Inducer). It has been shown that EMMPRIN expression is linked to various cell signaling pathways that lead to an increase in tumor cell vascularization. Researchers are focusing efforts on elucidating the role of EMMPRIN in a number of disorders including cancer, arthritis, tissue repair and numerous inflammation-dependent diseases. DESCRIPTION/DETAILS Basigin is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily thatis also known as EMMPRIN. Human basigin is expressed as two differentiallyspliced isoforms encoded by a single gene found on chromosome, renamedrespectively as basigin-1 and basigin-2. Attempts to demonstrate specifichemophilic on separate cells, or between soluble forms of recombinant basiginusing surface Plasmon resonance have not been successful, suggesting thatbasigin-2 cannot function as a receptor for itself. In order to identify possible receptors for soluble basiginligand, an affinity purification approach was employed. This approach resulted inthe labeling of several potential interacting proteins, and MALDI MS/MSsequencing of one of these proteins identified a novel isoform of human basigin(basigin-3). Immunoprecipitation studies using cell fractions revealed thatrBSG interacts with basigin-2 at the cell membrane, and subsequently interactswith the basigin-3 isoform within the cell. Small-interfering RNA (siRNA)knockdown of basigin-2 protein reduced, but did not eliminate, rBSG-mediatedERK activation in HESCs, suggesting that additional cell surface receptors forsoluble basigin may exist. Taken together, these results support the hypothesisthat basigin-2 can function as a receptor for soluble basigin and demonstratethat the hemophilic interactions between basigin proteins are not dependentupon glycosylation of the basigin ligand. It has also been shown that soluble EMMPRIN binds tomembrane-bound EMMPRIN and the bound complex is internalized presenting apotential means to deliver therapeutic compounds to the cell in a highlytargeted manner. A therapeutic scheme isproposed that aims to design EMMPRIN-conjugates designed to deliver cancertherapeutics in a targeted fashion. Applications Conjugation oftherapeutics to EMMPRIN increases specificity and targets cancers cells cancer (skin, bladder,breast); other inflammatory diseases (arthritis, endometriosis); Upregulationof inflammatory response. Benefits It is possible to design therapeutic agents directed toward human basigin. Possible therapeutic scheme to block tumor progressionor inflammation.
Higher Performance Proteases for Scarless Tag Removal Dr. van der Donk from the University of Illinois has characterized expression vectors and a family of proteases that are useful in removing affinity tags after... Read More Dr. van der Donk from the University of Illinois has characterized expression vectors and a family of proteases that are useful in removing affinity tags after protein expression. Affinity tag removal after protein expression is sometimes necessary for the protein of interest to be functional and active. However during this tag removal, some amino acids not native to the protein of interest can be left behind. Dr. van der Donk's invention eliminates the possibility of extraneous amino acids being left on the final protein product, which is an improvement over existing enzymatic tag removal techniques. This invention has identified a class of lanthipeptides, class II LanPs that show substrate specificity and can serve as efficient sequence-specific traceless proteases, expanding and advancing the current toolbox of proteases. The general goal of Dr. van der Donk's research is to understand enzymatic transformations that are of environmental or pharmaceutical importance. The van der Donk lab utilizes both synthetic organic chemistry and molecular biology to reach this goal. Specifically, the lab uses genome mining strategies to discover new natural products, use microbiology and genomic tools to determine their mode of action, use chemical biology techniques to study their biosynthesis, and use synthetic chemistry to improve their activities and therapeutic properties.
Pharmaceutical Compounds and Pathways from Actinobacteria Dr. Metcalf and Dr. van der Donk from the University of Illinois have discovered 12 novel phosphonate natural products as well as the genes responsible for the... Read More Dr. Metcalf and Dr. van der Donk from the University of Illinois have discovered 12 novel phosphonate natural products as well as the genes responsible for the biosynthesis of hundreds of additional compounds of other natural product classes. Phosphonic and phosphinic acids represent an underexploited group of bioactive compounds with great promise for the treatment of human disease.
RF Coil for Improving Tuning Range, Cost and Maintaining Q A radio frequency (RF) coil comprising a plurality of electrically uninterrupted conductive legs, each leg having a first end and a second end, and at least one... Read More A radio frequency (RF) coil comprising a plurality of electrically uninterrupted conductive legs, each leg having a first end and a second end, and at least one continuous conductor electrically connected to the first ends of the legs. Frequency tuning of the coil is achieved by translating, along the legs, an electrically continuous tuning band that includes a capacitor closed about the axis of the coil in proximity to the conductive legs. Maintaining electrical symmetry of the coil results in tuning ranges of at least 30 percent of the nominal value of the resonant frequency.
Integrated System for Genome Modification in E. coli Dr. Kuhlman from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has created a new system that provides a single editing tool for a variety of genome modifications... Read More Dr. Kuhlman from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has created a new system that provides a single editing tool for a variety of genome modifications. This method has the advantage over CRISPR-Cas9 system in not requiring prior modification of the genome and requires only locus-specific primers for genome editing. This technology is an optimized Landing Pad system that can use positive and negative selection to select for insertion, deletion, and knockout events at genomic targets using specific primers contain homology region A, B, and C. This approach provides a powerful tool for manipulating the genome. Benefits The Landing-Pad system can integrate large fragments of DNA, can be targeted anywhere in the genome and ab be applicable to deletions and knockouts as well. Unlike the CRISPR-Cas9 system, this technique does not require a special promoter for gene expression. The Landing-Pad system can target different loci with only locus-specific primer design.
Electronic Point of Care System for Detecting a Variety of Biomarkers Medical professionals need techniques that will help them diagnose diseases before debilitating symptoms begin to manifest in patients. Point of care testing, or... Read More Medical professionals need techniques that will help them diagnose diseases before debilitating symptoms begin to manifest in patients. Point of care testing, or bedside testing, enables rapid diagnostic tests to be performed at a patient's bedside. Benefits include: Immediate data, which can be interpreted by nurse or trained technician Decreased cost and effort, which could dramatically increase frequency of patient testing Cost-effective method to produce patient biomarker profile Dr. Bashir's lab has invented a label-free, electronic method for quantifying various biomarkers from blood. This method may be incorporated into a portable handheld device which enables healthcare professionals to perform complete blood count diagnostics at the point of patient care. Key advantages over existing competing technology include versatility, scalability, and decreased cost of production.
Miniaturized Walking Biological Machines Dr. Bashir has developed a walking biological machine. This "bio-bot" can move spontaneously, and may be useful for sensing, information processing, transport,... Read More Dr. Bashir has developed a walking biological machine. This "bio-bot" can move spontaneously, and may be useful for sensing, information processing, transport, protein expression and actuation applications.
New Way to Detect DNA Changes Researchers from the University of Illinois have identified a new, cheaper and easier way to detect methylation (alterations) of DNA. By measuring the methylation... Read More Researchers from the University of Illinois have identified a new, cheaper and easier way to detect methylation (alterations) of DNA. By measuring the methylation of certain DNA sequences, doctors can predict the likelihood of cancers and other disorders. This early detection has the potential to save lives.
Temperature Independent pH (TIP) Buffers for Use at Low Temperatures Researchers and practitioners in university, industrial and national labs increasingly rely on low temperatures in the development and study of products. For... Read More Researchers and practitioners in university, industrial and national labs increasingly rely on low temperatures in the development and study of products. For example, pharmaceutical companies routinely use low temperatures to study disease targets and markers. The biomolecules are always in buffers. Since the pH of buffers changes dramatically upon lowering temperature, the biolmolecules are not the same pH when they are at the room temperature. The change of pH can dramatically change the structural and functional properties of the biomolecules so that information obtained at low temperature does not reflect its properties at room temperature or physiological temperature. Additionally, since the exact pH buffer at different temperatures is not often predictable, the results obtained using a temperature variable pH buffer cannot easily correlate back to the pH at room temperature. This invention is a new design of pH buffers that show negligible pH change upon cooling to low temperatures, including cryotempatures. This invention solves the problem of significant change in apparent pH of a glycerol solution of common biological buffers upon cooling to cryotemperature. By combining a buffer that increases pH upon cooling with one that decreases pH upon cooling, the apparent pH change upon cooling to cryotemperature is minimized.
Enhanced Resolution for Biomedical Ultrasound Imaging Prof. Oelze from the University of Illinois has developed a novel technique of processing ultrasound images which will improve the spatial resolution by a factor... Read More Prof. Oelze from the University of Illinois has developed a novel technique of processing ultrasound images which will improve the spatial resolution by a factor of 6.9 (at least) over the diffraction limited approaches. It will also provide significant noise reduction.

Pages