METHOD OF TREATING CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASE

 Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Permeability Assay

Yes, These are troubled times. With our current focus on eradicating COVID-19, we forget that many of the world's most insidious and costly diseases have limited treatments and no cures.

That is why Neuromics continues to develop its human based 3-D Cell-Based Assays. At the center if our offerings is our BBB Model.

Here's a recent patent application that includes a permeability assay using our model-Sookhee Bang, Jeong Kuen Song, Seung-wook Shin, Kwan Hee Lee, and Ho June Lee. (2020). Method of Treating Central Nervous System Disease. United States Patent Application 20200230218

BBB Permeability Assay of AL04 The in vitro human BBB model (Neuromics, USA) was established using co-cultures of primary Human brain endothelial cells (HBEC), Human brain pericytes (HBPC), and Human brain astrocytes (HBAC). In vitro human BBB model kit has two sides (luminal, blood/abluminal, brain) with 12 transwell inserts (polyester membrane, 0.4 um pore, diameter 12 mm, insert growth area: 1.12 cm2). HBPC were grown on the bottom side of the inserts, HBEC were monolayered on the upper side of the inserts, and HBAC were grown on the bottom of the 12-well culture plate (Neuromics, USA). In vitro BBB model was activated according to the manufacturer's instructions for 4 days. Briefly, the medium from both luminal and abluminal (lower, brain) sides of the transwell insert was changed every other day. Before the transport experiment, the abluminal side was filled with the permeability assay medium. For the permeability assay, purified AL04 or recombinant HSA (Sigma, USA) were added to the luminal side (0.3 ml) of the transwell insert to yield a final concentration of 1 or 10 uM. Incubations were performed on orbital shaker (100 rpm) at 37° C. Samples (150 μl) were collected from the abluminal side (1.2 ml) at 60, 120 and 240 min and immediately replaced with fresh permeability assay medium. The concentrations of transported AL04 or rHSA were measured by Human albumin quantitation ELISA kit (Bethyl laboratory, USA) and analyzed using the standard curve method. Permeability coefficients (Pe, cm s−1) were calculated using the equation: Pe=(VA/(A×c0))×(dQ/dt), where VA is volume of assay buffer in blood side (inside of the insert), A is the surface area of the insert (1.12 cm2), c0 the initial concentration of protein sample added into blood side, dQ/dt the concentration of transported protein sample in brain side in a defined time period. The permeability coefficients (Pe, cm s−1) for the purified AL04 or recombinant HSA were calculated as previously described (Prades, 2015; Nakagawa, 2009).

If you have interest and want to learn more, please email Rose Ludescher, VP, Customer Satisfaction-rose@neuromics.com

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