Precise PCR Results are Critical for Individuals that are Immunocompromised.  Immunocompromised and transplant individuals require precise testing to uncover common viruses that can be life threatening for them. Cytomegalovirus (CMV), for example, is a herpes-type viral infection found in a large percentage of the adult population worldwide. In healthy individuals, CMV can present symptoms s...

ALPCO is pleased to announce the availability of two new immunoassays to measure complement system activation, the Complement C4d ELISA and the Terminal Complement Complex (TCC) ELISA.The complement system plays an essential role in acute and chronic inflammation, in immune response to infections, and in autoimmune disease.  Complement pathway activation has become an important tool for dru...

ALPCO now offers an ELISA to measure the concentration of TCC (sC5b-9) levels in human plasma; an essential step to evaluate whether foreign materials in contact with blood are triggering an immune response. The Complement TCC ELISA is easy-to-use with a 2-hour incubation and reflects complement activation regardless of pathway. The Complement System TCC ELISA is a flexible and easy to use e...

Monoclonal antibody (mAbs) biologics have been used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for 20 years1. Despite the successful use of biologics as therapies for Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), these diseases remain difficult to manage. As a result, patients and healthcare providers are met with many challenges when treating IBD with biologics such as variable drug respons...

Anti-TNF-alpha biologics have been proven to be effective treatments for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)1. Rising healthcare costs as well as patent expirations, however, have prompted the development of biosimilars, such as the infliximab biosimilar CT-P131. The introduction of these drugs also presents the need for a better understand...

Date: September 6, 2016 Author: Andrea Tarbet, Product Marketing Associate at ALPCO Signaling pathways dictate the differentiation, activation, and functions of immune cells.  Even the slightest problem in one cell signaling pathway can transform the immune system and turn it against the body, causing an autoimmune disease. Research has shown that proper phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) c...

Date: August 16, 2016 Author: Andrea Tarbet, Product Marketing Associate at ALPCO Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors are not the only kinase inhibitors to enter the fight against B cell cancers. Since there are numerous subtypes of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), patients around the world are in need of diverse treatments and cures. As a result, different type...

Date: July 26, 2016 Author: Andrea Tarbet, Product Marketing Associate at ALPCO Over the past several years, the drug arsenal to combat B cell cancers has gained a mighty weapon: Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors. The origins of using BTK inhibitors as cancer drug treatments actually began with researching drug treatments for an autoimmune disease. Two decades later, the first BTK...

Introduction Bones are traditionally known for their support, protection and movement properties, as well as their role in the processes of mineral balance and blood cell production. Research supports that bones do more than they were originally recognized for. Previous research investigating osteocalcin not only helped to change the scientific community’s understanding of bones, but also incr...

Introduction Humans have at least 50 discovered hormones managing vital biological functions in the body. These hormones are produced by the body’s organs and glands. Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are structurally related hormones synthesized and released from the heart, including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). Due to some of the physiological actions of nat...