This is the 2nd in a series of articles showcasing Power3 Medical’s dedication and perseverance in the field of proteomics and the identification of disease.
Power3 Medical’s Discovery Platform
Through years of expertise, Power3 has developed a structured approach to the discovery and development of protein footprints and biomarkers of human disease. The company’s Discovery Platform is a 7-step process that creates intellectual property through clinically focused, precise, and controlled analysis.
The Discovery Platform
How the process works:
1. Patient Samples
A major component of the discovery process is obtaining clinically relevant patient samples. Power3 Medical receives patient samples for two defined purposes.
> Research samples are provided to Power3 under approved research agreements and protocols. The samples are provided by physician scientists seeking answers to pressing unmet clinical needs. The purpose of these studies is to discover biomarkers and protein footprints of human disease for intellectual property development, publication, and presentation at scientific meetings.
> Clinical Trial Study samples are received for the purposes of single site and multiple sites clinical studies under approved clinical trial protocols for Phase I, II, or III, for commercialization purposes.
2. Sample Preparation
When patient samples arrive at the Power3 laboratory, they are in a sub optimal biological form. The samples must be properly prepared for optimal analysis by utilizing appropriate procedures for their sample type. The critical specific methods employed here are proprietary to the company.
3. 2-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis (2DE)
The Power3 Medical scientific team specializes in 2-D gel analysis, and utilizes 2DE to transform the highly complex mixture of proteins into its constituents and to ferret out the clinically important disease footprints. This approach, the gold standard of proteomics, was pioneered by Dr. Goldknopf in the 1970’s-80’s. In the first dimension, proteins are resolved according to their electric charge. The second dimension separates the proteins according to their size. Due to very high sensitivity of detection and measurement, reproducibility, and resolution, in the hands of Power3, the 2D gel technology allows the visualization and measurement of 2-20 times as many proteins in clinical samples simultaneously.
4. Gel Staining
After the 2-D Gel conversion, the samples must undergo a staining process. Prior to staining, the protein patterns are unidentifiable for analysis. Once completed, differences in expressed proteins are observed with unprecedented clarity.
5. Digital Imaging & Data Analysis
The imaging process converts the physical samples to a digital form. The process utilizes a high-resolution digital scanner to record the protein expression of each sample. Once digital, patient samples can be easily compared and analyzed.
6. Mass Spec Analysis and Protein Identification
After digital imaging and analysis, the protein constituents of the disease footprints are taken apart, taken through mass spectrometry (MS), and identified by highly specialized and proprietary techniques of spectral analysis and sequence database searching. Mass Spectrometry breaks a protein down into pieces and analyzes its fundamental composition. The results are organized into a spectrum, which is then analyzed by Power3’s scientific team.
7. Disease Protein Footprints, Biomarkers, and Drug Targets
Using proprietary techniques of database searching, protein analysis, and biological and medical information, the discovered disease footprints are transformed into rationales for early detection and tracking of the disease and to tease out the most appropriate drug targets for early treatment.
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