Upstate launches new EZ ChIP kit

The EZ ChIP is Upstate's flagship product having become the first company to market ChIP kits allowing scientists to measure the modifications on histone proteins associated with a particular gene.

The study of the histone code has significant potential to enhance current drug discovery development strategies. Inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDAC's) are already in various clinical trials as DNA methylation is correlated with histone deacetylation and the repression of transcription.

For example, treating cancer cells with HDAC inhibitors can reactivate the expression of silent tumour suppressors such as p16 and p21, stimulating cancer cells to differentiate.

Upstate​, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Serologicals Corporation, said that the kits can also detect recruitment of a particular transcription factor to a promoter region, or analyse the interaction of any protein with any DNA sequence in vivo.

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a powerful in vivo method to quantitate interaction of proteins associated with specific regions of the genome. ChIP allows you to measure the modification state of histones associated with a particular gene, detect recruitment of a particular transcription factor to a promoter region, or analyse the interaction of any protein with any DNA sequence in vivo.

EZ ChIP kits comes complete with spin columns for easier sample handling, positive and negative control antibodies and PCR primers; everything customers need to create, validate and troubleshoot experiments is included.

"Upstate is committed to making our research and drug discovery customers' protocols easier, faster and more efficient. We see ourselves as partners, enhancing productivity and leading more quickly to beneficial therapeutic discoveries,"​ said David Dodd, president and chief executive officer of Serologicals Corporation.