January 2015 Citations for FLICA Assay Kits

Two new citations using our FLICA Assay kits were published this month.
Identification of Aim2 as a Sensor for DNA Vaccines. J. Immunol. vol 194 no. 2 630-636. [Abstract]

"Samples were then stained with a caspase-1 FAM/FLICA kit according to the manufacturers [sic] instructions (ImmunoChemistry Technologies, Bloomington, MN)."

 Paster, W, Bruger, AM, Katsch, K, Gregoire, C, Roncagalli, R, Fu, G, Gascoigne, NRJ, Nika, K, Cohnen, A, Feller, SM, Simister, PC, Molder, KC, Cordoba, SP, Dushek, O, Malissen, B, Acuto, O. (2015). A THEMIS:SHP1 complex promotes T-cell survival. EMBO Journal 10.15252/embj.201387725[Full Text]

"A FAM‐FLICA detection probe was used to assess poly‐caspase activity by flow cytometry."

Products Used:

• FAM-FLICA Caspase 1 Assay Kit (ICT#97, 98)
• FAM-FLICA Poly-Caspase Assay Kit (ICT#91, 92)

Recent Customer Citations for Magic Red Cathepsin B Assay Kits

Li, K, Yang, L, Zhang, C, Niu, Y, Wei, L, Liu, J. (2014). HPS6 interacts with dynactin p150Glued to mediate retrograde trafficking and maturation of lysosomes. J. Cell Sci. 127, 4574-4588. [Abstract]

"we incubated cells with Magic Red cathepsin B (MR catB), a membrane permeable probe that fluoresces..."

Bain, JM, Louw, J, Lewis, LE, Okai, B, Walls, CA, Ballou, ER, Walker, LA, Reid, D, Munro, CA, Brown, AJP, Brown, GD, Gow, NAR, Erwig, LP. (2014). Candida albicans Hypha Formation and Mannan Masking of β-Glucan Inhibit Macrophage Phagosome Maturation. mBio. vol. 5 no. 6 e01874-14. [Full Text]

Abstract:

Candida albicans is a major life-threatening human fungal pathogen in the immunocompromised host. Host defense against systemic Candida infection relies heavily on the capacity of professional phagocytes of the innate immune system to ingest and destroy fungal cells. A number of pathogens, including C. albicans, have evolved mechanisms that attenuate the efficiency of phagosome-mediated inactivation, promoting their survival and replication within the host. Here we visualize host-pathogen interactions using live-cell imaging and show that viable, but not heat- or UV-killed C. albicans cells profoundly delay phagosome maturation in macrophage cell lines and primary macrophages. The ability of C. albicans to delay phagosome maturation is dependent on cell wall composition and fungal morphology. Loss of cell wall O-mannan is associated with enhanced acquisition of phagosome maturation markers, distinct changes in Rab GTPase acquisition by the maturing phagosome, impaired hyphal growth within macrophage phagosomes, profound changes in macrophage actin dynamics, and ultimately a reduced ability of fungal cells to escape from macrophage phagosomes. The loss of cell wall O-mannan leads to exposure of β-glucan in the inner cell wall, facilitating recognition by Dectin-1, which is associated with enhanced phagosome maturation.

Products Used:

• Magic Red Cathepsin B Assay Kit (ICT# 937, 938)

September Publications Citing FLICA® 660 Caspase Assays for Apoptosis Detection

Saunders, AE, Shim, YA, Johnson, P. (2014). Innate Immune Cell CD45 Regulates Lymphopenia-Induced T Cell Proliferation. J. Immunol. 193(6). 2831-2842. [Abstract]

"...The presence of active caspase-3 and -7 was assessed using FLICA 660 assay kit (Immunochemistry Technologies) in accordance with the manufacturers {sic} instructions..."

Samejima, K, Ogawa, H, Ageichik, AV, Peterson, KL, Kaufmann, SH, Kanemaki, MT, Earnshaw, WC. (2014). Auxin-induced Rapid Degradation of Inhibitor of Caspase-activated DNase (ICAD) Induces Apoptotic DNA Fragmentation, Caspase Activation, and Cell Death. J. Biol. Chem. 289, 31617-31623. [Abstract]

“…Caspase activation was analyzed using the FLICA 660 in vitro poly caspase detection kit (ImmunoChemistry Technologies LLC) following the manufacturer’s instructions…”

Products Cited:
FLICA 660 Caspase 3/7 Kit (ICT# 9125)
FLICA 660 Poly Caspase Assay Kit (ICT# 9120)

Recent Customer Citations Using FLICA® Caspase-1 Assay Kits

Recently, our customers have published two research articles using our FLICA® Kits to detect caspase-1 activity.

The first article, authored by researchers at the Utrecht University Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, studied the pathogen that causes foodborne disease.

Recent Customer Publication Using FLICA Assays

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and  Schepens Eye Research Institute recently published a study using several of our FLICA apoptosis assays to detect caspase activity in retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Kim LA., Amarnani D, Gnanaguru G, Tsen WA, Vavvas DG, and D'Amore PA. (2014.) Tamoxifen Toxicity in Cultured Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Is Mediated by Concurrent Regulated Cell Death Mechanisms. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 55(8), 4747-4758. [Abstract]

"Caspase activity was evaluated by caspase-1, -3, -8, and -9 specific inhibition... Caspase activity was verified with the fluorochrome-labeled inhibitor of caspases (FLICA) probe specific for each caspase."

ICT Owners Complete ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Lee and Hed douse themselves in ice water to bring awareness to ALS and medical research, challenge industry colleagues

August 27, 2014 - BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Challenge accepted! Dr. Brian Lee and Ms. Sally Hed, co-owners of ImmunoChemistry Technologies, were nominated to complete the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. They accepted the challenge on this sunny day in August and made a donation to the ALS Association.

Screening Imidazolium-based Compounds for Cancer-Fighting Effects

Congratulations to our customers at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research and the Universidad Metropolitana School of Environmental Affairs for publishing their recent study of the effects of imidazolium-based compounds on 60 human cancer cell lines in the September 2014 issue of MedChemComm.

To assess potential toxicity of the compounds, they measured apoptosis via caspase activation using our FLICA® (Fluorescent Labeled Inhibitors of Caspases) probes that bind covalently with active caspase effector enzymes.