We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Protein Found That Complicates Healing from Respiratory Infections

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 08 Mar 2015
Print article
Image: The antibody against ANGPTL4 is in the test tube, with the image of the lungs from the treated mice in the background (Photo courtesy of Nanyang Technological University).
Image: The antibody against ANGPTL4 is in the test tube, with the image of the lungs from the treated mice in the background (Photo courtesy of Nanyang Technological University).
A protein has been identified that slows healing of respiratory tissues and complicates recovery from diseases such as influenza and pneumonia.

Investigators at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) had found by examining human lung biopsy specimens from patients with infection-induced pneumonia with tissue damage that expression of the ANGPTL4 (angiopoietin-like 4) gene was elevated as compared to normal lung samples. ANGPTL4 was known to enhance pulmonary tissue leakiness and exacerbate inflammation-induced lung damage.

To counter the effects of ANGPTL4, the investigators developed a neutralizing antibody that blocked the activity of the protein. In addition they worked with a line of mice that had been genetically engineered to lack the ANGPTL4 gene.

Results published in the February 10, 2015, issue of the journal Cell Reports revealed that treatment of infected mice with neutralizing anti-ANGPTL4 antibodies significantly accelerated lung recovery and improved lung tissue integrity. ANGPTL4-deficient mice also showed reduced lung damage and recovered faster from influenza infection when compared to their wild-type counterparts.

"We know that ANGPTL4 usually helps to regulate blood vessel leakiness. But this is the first time we have shown that by blocking this protein, we are able to control the natural response of inflammation, which in turn reduces the damage that inflammation does to the lungs," said senior author Dr. Andrew Tan Nguan Soon, associate professor of biological sciences at Nanyang Technological University. "When the antibody we developed was given to mice suffering from pneumonia and influenza that had high levels of ANGPTL4, these mice recovered much faster than the other mice which did not receive the antibodies. The concentration of ANGPTL4 correlates to the amount of inflammation the patient is having."

"While it will take up to eight years to develop the antibody into a useable treatment for human patients, we are currently developing a diagnostic kit which should be commercialized in about three years," said Dr. Tan. "The kit will help doctors diagnose the severity of pneumonia and the efficacy of the prescribed treatment. This is done by detecting the concentration of a particular protein called ANGPTL4, which is present in samples taken from patients suffering from upper respiratory tract infections. With our diagnostic kit, doctors will be able to see if a particular treatment is working for a patient. This is done by observing whether the concentration of ANGPTL4 is decreasing or not."

Two multi-national biotechnology corporations, Abcam (Cambridge, United Kingdom) and Adipogen (San Diego, CA, USA), have been awarded the rights to produce and market the patent-pending anti-ANGPTL4 antibody.

Related Links:

Nanyang Technological University
Abcam
Adipogen 


Gold Member
Flocked Fiber Swabs
Puritan® Patented HydraFlock®
Automated Blood Typing System
IH-500 NEXT
New
Herpes Virus Test
Human Herpes Virus (HHV-6) Real Time PCR Kit
New
Toxoplasma Gondii Test
Toxo IgG ELISA Kit

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The new saliva-based test for heart failure measures two biomarkers in about 15 minutes (Photo courtesy of Trey Pittman)

POC Saliva Testing Device Predicts Heart Failure in 15 Minutes

Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart muscle is unable to pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. It ranks as a major cause of death globally and is particularly fatal for... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The smartphone technology measures blood hemoglobin levels from a digital photo of the inner eyelid (Photo courtesy of Purdue University)

First-Of-Its-Kind Smartphone Technology Noninvasively Measures Blood Hemoglobin Levels at POC

Blood hemoglobin tests are among the most frequently conducted blood tests, as hemoglobin levels can provide vital insights into various health conditions. However, traditional tests are often underutilized... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: Under a microscope, DNA repair is visible as bright green spots (“foci”) in the blue-stained cell DNA. Orange highlights actively growing cancer cells (Photo courtesy of WEHI)

Simple Blood Test Could Detect Drug Resistance in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women across the world are diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer. PARP inhibitors (PARPi) therapy has been a major advancement in treating these cancers, particularly... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: HNL Dimer can be a novel and potentially useful clinical tool in antibiotic stewardship in sepsis (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Unique Blood Biomarker Shown to Effectively Monitor Sepsis Treatment

Sepsis remains a growing problem across the world, linked to high rates of mortality and morbidity. Timely and accurate diagnosis, along with effective supportive therapy, is essential in reducing sepsis-related... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.