Invitrogen, part of Life Technologies Corporation, has announced the availability of a biomarker tool for use in pre-clinical research into kidney function.
The Plexmark 3 renal biomarker panel assay is a non-invasive and cost-effective research tool for performing post-transplantation kidney function studies rapidly and easily.
The introduction of this research tool is expected to help in the development of studies that may lead to more effective methods for monitoring kidney health in transplant research.
This assay provides researchers with an alternative to invasive and expensive procedures, such as biopsies, used to obtain kidney tissue samples to allow research into post-transplantation kidney function.
The Plexmark 3 renal biomarker panel assay measures levels of cytokines, chemokines and receptor levels in urine, providing researchers with a better understanding of immune function and response.
This may lead to the development of non-invasive tests to monitor kidney function and health following transplant procedures.
The Plexmark assay uses Luminex XMap multiplexing technology for bioassay analysis in a standard immunoassay format to offer sensitivity and rapid, reproducible results.
The biomarkers in the Plexmark panel are licensed from Renovar, a specialist in the development of tools for assessing kidney inflammation for clinical indications.
Dr Brian D Shames, assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Transplant Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, said: 'Development of a non-invasive test that could help differentiate between acute renal injury, rejection and infection would satisfy a critical unmet need in transplantation.
'A biomarker test that can accomplish this would be of extreme importance in pre-clinical kidney transplantation research,' he added.
Jim Janicki, vice-president and general manager of Life Technologies' transplantation diagnostics business, said: 'We are excited about the non-invasive and cost-effective nature of Plexmark and anticipate that research clinicians will want to utilise this product to better understand immunosuppression as it relates to whole kidney function.'
