Millipore Licenses Neurofilament ELISA from Encor Biotechnology and the University Of Florida
Billerica, Massachusetts --- March 27, 2007 --- Millipore Corporation today announced collaboration with Dr. Gerry Shaw from the University of Florida and EnCor Biotechnology, Inc to develop and license an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. This kit accurately measures the levels of pNF-H, a sensitive biomarker of axonal injury, in homogenates of tissues as well as samples of serum, CSF and other bodily fluids.
| Measurement of pNF-H using NS170 in transgenic mouse for human copper/zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) (incorporated G93A mutation).This mutant SOD1 (found in some familial forms of ALS) causes a disease state in the mouse very similar to human ALS. The blood was taken by tail bleeding, and 0.5 microliters of plasma was used for the assay. There is a weak signal in most mice at 74 days which increases as the disease progresses. The animals do not show obvious ALS symptoms until about 90 days, so the assay can clearly pick up presymptomatic axonal loss. |
The neurofilament ELISA kit can be used in research not only for detecting the extent of spinal cord and brain injuries, but also finding axonal degeneration in neurological diseases, such as ALS and multiple sclerosis. The kit measures upregulation of pNF-H in a variety of damage, intoxication and disease states. This assay functions on all mammalian species tested to date, including rat, mouse, rabbit, cat, pig, cow and human.
“Partnering with a pioneer like Dr. Gerry Shaw, who founded EnCor and has prospered in an amazing biotechnology incubator at the University of Florida, is a privilege for Millipore,” said Kumar Bala, Marketing Director for Antibody Technology Bat Millipore. “We believe collaborations like this will accelerate discovery and therapy in the field of degenerative diseases, and Millipore is committed to further partnering with scientists at leading academic, biotech and government institutions to supply research tools worldwide which will accelerate breakthroughs in medicine and therapies,”
Dr. Gerry Shaw, professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida College of Medicine, founded EnCor Biotechnology in December 1999. EnCor manufactures markets and researches high quality antibodies and proteins. In December 2004, EnCor, Dr. Shaw and a collaborator, Dr. Brian Pike at the National Institutes of Health, announced a patent pending on the ELISA assay.
Millipore’s Bioscience Division provides innovative tools, services and biological reagents that drive advancements in biomedical and academic research as well as support the discovery and development of new pharmaceuticals. The product portfolio has been further enhanced with the 2006 addition of Chemicon, Upstate and Linco product lines, allowing Millipore to provide the most complete offering of life science tools on the market. Our customers work in leading research laboratories across a variety of industries throughout the world. Millipore improves their laboratory productivity and efficiency through optimized workflows. For more information, please contact Millipore Tech Service at 1-800-548-7853 or 951-676-8080 or visit www.millipore.com.
About Millipore
Millipore is a leading provider of products and services that improve productivity in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and in clinical, analytical and research laboratories. The Company is organized in two operating divisions. Its Bioprocess Division helps enables pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to optimize their manufacturing productivity, ensure the quality of drugs, and scale up the production of difficult-to-manufacture biologics. Its Bioscience division helps to optimize laboratory productivity and workflows. Its products and enabling technologies that are used in the laboratory are essential for the research and development of biologically based life science therapeutics. Millipore has a deep understanding of its customers’ research and manufacturing process needs, and offers reliable and innovative tools, technologies and services. The Company is part of the S&P 500 index and employs approximately 5,800 employees in more than 47 offices worldwide. For additional information on Millipore Corporation, please visit its website at: www.millipore.com.
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