The necessity of finding a safer and more efficient way to treat cancer has led investigators to naturally turn their attention toward nanoparticles. Recently, a group of researchers in Sweden has come up with a novel system of utilizing magnetic particles to trigger apoptosis, thus resulting in the self-destruction of tumor cells. The findings, published in the journal ACS Nano, signify a promising approach to cancer treatment, with implications extending beyond oncology and encompassing a range of clinical applications.
Investigators at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) in Japan have developed a protocol for manufacturing biocompatible hybrid nanoparticles. The resulting particles have magnetic as well as optical properties. They are suitable for clinical use and can be customized for utilization in a wide range of applications.
The search for alternatives to chromatographic resins is not new. With the continuous increase in expression levels in recombinant protein purification, columns are struggling with crude lysates. The need to clarify suspensions containing high levels of expressed protein for post-purification re-concentration no longer appears to be the most efficient strategy. You will find much more information about this topic in our protein purification handbook.
Approximately 400 participants will gather in Dresden, Germany, for the 10th International Conference on the Scientific and Clinical Applications of Magnetic Carriers, to be held on June 10, 2014. The conference, hosted by the Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the Technical University of Dresden, will run for five days and cover a range of topics related to magnetic carrier technology.
Nanoparticles incorporating different functions are useful and necessary products for assays, drug delivery, and other life science applications. For example, magnetic nanoparticles can be used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to dissipate energy under an oscillating field to locally raise temperature (hyperthermia), or to improve manufacturing of complex nanoparticles via use of magnetic separation. One or more different antibodies and/or fluorescence, luminescence agents as well as other functionalities such as catalytic or enzymatic groups can be attached to nanoparticles.
In order to ensure the success of a protocol, it is essential to have a clear and unbiased knowledge base and a reliable source of reference material. When trying to decide the best platform or application to use for a process, it is critical to ensure that the information on which the decision will be based is generic and factual, and not propagated as promotional data.
The key issue when transferring a bead coating process from the Research and Development department to the manufacturing department is scalability. It is essential to ensure that the system being utilized for a particular protocol is adaptable to larger volumes. Ideally, any scale-up would be carried out with the use of a homogeneous biomagnetic separator, as this would ensure that the conditions of the protocol are well-defined and able to be reproduced for a larger volume.
Magnetic beads have several advantages over alternate non-magnetic bead technologies, and are thus finding increasing application in all areas of life-sciences research and development including drug discovery, biomedicine, bioassay development, diagnostics, genomics and proteomics.
It is well known that most recombinant protein purifications are mainly done through different types of chromatography, explained in our protein purification handbook. However, the use of magnetic particles is a very interesting alternative to these techniques, providing great advantages and simplifying the process in many aspects. The necessary equipment for purification with magnetic particles is simple: we need a magnet or any device capable of creating a magnetic field, and the particles themselves.
Next week, 18,000 scientists and other cancer professionals from around the world are projected to move to 2014 AACR Annual Meeting, in San Diego. Attendees are laboratory scientists and clinical investigators specializing in all aspects of cancer research, including experimental therapeutics, molecular targeted therapies, chemistry, molecular biology and genetics, immunology and immunotherapy, tumor biology, virology, toxicology, prevention, and clinical and translational research.
