These assays will allow prediction of drug response, disease diagnosis, prognosis, or understanding of biological function and features the Pattern Track biomarker discovery-to-assay process, which integrates the ProteinChip Arrays, SELDI-TOF-MS detection, and Biomarker Patterns software in a single system.
Surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) is a novel approach to biomarker discovery combining two powerful techniques: chromatography and mass spectrometry. The ability to provide a rapid protein expression profile may improve early cancer detection and drug treatment decisions as well as insights into mechanisms of drug resistance and drug pharmacodynamics.
Martin Verhoef, president of the Biosystems Division of Ciphergen said: "The major bottleneck in proteomics today is development of validated biomarker assays."The Series 4000 was designed to speed the biomarker discovery to assay process and produce high predictive SELDI-based assays in weeks versus months or years."
New bioseparation tools include the new Protein Equalizer beads which allow a deeper search into the proteomes of biological fluids such as serum to detect low abundance proteins. The protein Interaction Discovery Mapping kits enabling discovery of novel protein interactions and the ability to build quantitative SELDI-based immunoassays to study the drug development process.
The system is intended for use at the bench-top level in typical life science research labs, academic research centres and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that have a need to study proteins.
The SELDI (Surface Enhanced Laser/Desorption Ionisation)-based system has provided a real advance in accurate and sensitive identification of proteins in a clinical or research setting.
According to market analysts Frost and Sullivan, Ciphergen's ProteinChip technology has been the impetus for the creation of the Clinical Proteomics market characterised by researchers interested in bringing analytical tools out of the lab and into the clinic to directly address medical questions,