Product Portfolio:

In vitro and cell-based assays:  

• Cellular cholesterol flux assays (between cells and HDL)
• Assessments of efficacy of serum or HDL in RCT
• HDL composition analysis
• Enzymatic / cholesterol / phospholipid transfer activity

Highly innovative in vivo RCT, HDL turnover and plaque progression and regression assays requiring extensive know-how and expertise

Clinical assessments (in vivo / ex vivo) including initial biological activity assessment and biomarker development and utilization

Sophisticated integration of results to assess overall functional profile of drug candidates and enhance confidence to move forward with long-term, expanded/expensive clinical trials

Current Assays Available for Contract Studies:

In vitro  / Ex vivo Biomarker Efflux Studies:
Human and rodent

• ABCA1 efflux (J774 assay): Whole serum or HDL fraction (non-apo B lipoproteins)
• SR-BI efflux (Fu5AH assay): Whole serum or HDL fraction (non-apo B lipoproteins)
• Non-specific cAMP stimulated J774 assay: Whole serum or HDL fraction (non-apo B lipoproteins)
• 3H-cholesterol labeled HDL / SR-BI mediated liver cell selective uptake (Fu5AH assay)
• 3H-cholesterol labeled HDL / 14C-cholesterol labeled Macrophage (J774) Bidirectional Flux assay – Under development

In vivo Reverse Cholesterol Transport

Mouse RCT (Rader/Rothblat) assay
(wt C57Bl/6 normal chow-fed female mice vs control, n = 10/group)

1. RCT assay also available in transgenic (TG) or knockout (KO) models
2. RCT assay also available utilizing macrophages derived from TGs or KOs

In vivo Atherosclerosis Models

Mouse apo E -/- or LDLr-/-  atherosclerosis model
(chow fed or cholesterol (Western diet) -fed):

• Lipid / lipoprotein determinations (Total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C, triglycerides, phospholipids, etc)
• Blood sampling and biomarkers
• Immune markers
• Lesion assessment:
  • Thoracic aorta: en-face lipid area (Sudan IV)
  • Aortic root / sinus cross section: Pathology / H&E, Immunohistochemical staining         

Liver directed gene transfer into mouse atherosclerosis models
Mouse bone marrow transplant model into LDLr-/-  - Under development

Additional assays developed upon request