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Dietary supplements are used by more than one-half of the adult US population. In contrast to pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements may be sold in the United States with little regulation other than listing of ingredients and the potential health benefits. By contrast, herbal products in Germany are carefully regulated by the same standards as drugs, and efforts are under way to standardize their regulation in the entire European Union. Most herbal users do not inform their physicians that they are taking these supplements, and most physicians do not inquire. Although some herbal products have clinically proven benefits, i ... Read more »

Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and it has been calculated that 80% of the susceptibility to develop Graves’ disease is attributable to genes. The concordance rate for AITD among monozygotic twins is, however, well below 1 and environmental factors thus must play an important role. We have attempted to carry out a comprehensive review of all the envi ... Read more »

Bestatin is a potent aminopeptidase inhibitor that has immunostimulant and antitumor activity. We conducted a prospective randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial to determine whether postoperative adjuvant treatment with bestatin could prolong the survival of patients with completely resected stage I squamous-cell lung carcinoma. Methods: Patients with confirmed, resected stage I squamous-cell lu ... Read more »

Immunostimulants, Vaccines, and Environmental Stressors in Aquaculture: NBT Assays to show Neutrophil Activity by these
 
 Immunomodulators
Douglas P. Anderson  
Salmon Bay Biologics 2716 Elliott Ave. #900
Seattle, Washington 98121 USA 

Abstract 

Total Protein Assays


Protein quantitation is often necessary prior to handling protein samples for isolation and characterization. It is a required step before submitting protein samples for chromatographic, electrophoretic and immunochemical separation or analyses.
The most common methods for the colorimetric detection and quantitation of total protein can be divided into two groups based upon the chemistry involved. Protein assay reagents involve either protein-dye binding chemistry (coomassie/ Bradford) or protein-copper chelation chemistry. Pierce offers seven colorimetric assays for detection and quantitation of total protein. They are all well-characterized, robust assays that provide consistent, reliable results. Collectively, they represent the state-of-the-art for colorimetric detection and quantitation ... Read more »

Introduction to Gas Chromatography

Silylation and Silylation Reagents
No one but Pierce offers the combination of variety, quality and reliability.

Derivatization The chemical literature contains an abundance of data on derivatization, most of which is relevant to particular compounds, classes of compounds and derivatization reagents. Two books are recognized as standards in the field of analytical derivatization. The first book, Handbook of Analytical Derivatization Reactions by Daniel R. Knapp (see page 36), provides a general collection of analytical derivatization methods for chromatography and mass spectroscopy (MS) that involves formation of covalent derivatives prior to analysis. The second book, Silylation of Organic Compounds by Alan F. Pierce2, “is a significant factor in the transfer of silylation reactions from the relatively e ... Read more »

Blocking Unoccupied Sites

In an ELISA, it is important to block the unoccupied sites on the surface of the well to reduce the amount of nonspecific binding of proteins during subsequent steps in the assay. A variety of blocking buffers ranging from nonfat milk to highly purified proteins have been used to block unreacted sites. The blocking buffer should improve the sensitivity of the assay by reducing the background interference. An individual blocking buffer will not be compatible with every system; for this reason, a variety of blockers in both Tris buffered saline (TBS) and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) are available. The proper choice of blocker for a given assay depends on the antigen itself and on the type of enzyme conjugate to be used. For example, with applications using an alkaline phosphatase conjugate, a blocking buffer in TBS should be sele ... Read more »

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are designed for detecting and quantitating substances such as peptides, proteins, antibodies and hormones. Other names, such as enzyme immunoassay (EIA), are also used to describe the same process. In an ELISA, an antigen must be immobilized to a solid surface. The antigen is then complexed with an antibody that is linked to an enzyme. Detection is accomplished by incubating this enzyme-complex with a substrate that produces a detectable product. The most crucial element of the detection strategy is a highly specific antibody-antigen interaction.

Most commonly, ELISAs are performed in 96-well (or 384-well) polystyrene plates, which will passively bind antibodies and proteins. It is this binding and immobilization of reagents that makes ELISAs so easy to design and perform, as first described by Eva Engvall, et a ... Read more »

The staining of protein bands on gels after electrophoresis is one of the most routinely performed protocols in the life science laboratory. Because significant time is invested in preparing reagents, staining and destaining, even the simplest staining protocols can be tedious and take hours to complete.

Pierce Gel Stains provide speed, simplicity, convenience and economy over both homemade and other commercially available staining products. Life scientists around the world now look to Pierce Stains for speed, ease-of-use, sensitivity, superior results and economy.

This brochure summarizes the key features and benefits of several Pierce Staining Products that represent clear improvements in staining technology. Easy-to-follow protocols with schematics demonstrate just how easy s ... Read more »

Pierce EZ-Link ™ Biotinylation Reagents make it easy to label any molecule (antibodies, peptides or oligonucleotides) with biotin to create a number of assay formats. Avidin’s affinity for biotin is so strong (Ka = 10-15 M-1) that it can survive boiling, pH extremes and detergents. Chaotropic agents such as 8M Guanidine•HCl or 6M Urea are the only agents that can dissociate this non-covalent bond.

Pierce can help you choose the right biotinylation reagent for your experimental applications. Whether you are performing Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Western Blotting, Immunohistochemistry, Cell Surface Modification, Affinity Separations, Northern or Southern Blotting, Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorting, or Immunoprecipitation, the Avidin-Biotin complex can be used. Y not mak ... Read more »

Antibodies are host proteins that are produced by the immune system in response to foreign molecules that enter the body. These foreign molecules are called antigens, and their molecular recognition by the immune system results in selective production of antibodies that are able to bind the specific antigen. Antibodies are made by B lymphocytes and circulate throughout the blood and lymph where they bind to their specific antigen, enabling it to be cleared from circulation.

This ability of animal immune systems to produce antibodies capable of binding specifically to antigens can be harnessed to manufacture probes for detection of molecules of interest in a variety of research and diagnostic applications. No other current technology allows researchers to design and manufacture such highly specific molecular recognition tools. In addition to th ... Read more »

DNA technology is increasingly vital to ensuring accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system.  DNA can be used to identify criminals with incredible accuracy when biological evidence exists, and DNA can be used to clear suspects and exonerate persons mistakenly accused or convicted of crimes.

The current federal and state DNA collection and analysis system needs improvement.  In many instances, public crime labs are overwhelmed by backlogs of unanalyzed DNA samples. In addition, these labs may be ill-equipped to handle the increasing influx of DNA samples and evidence.  The problems of backlogs and the lack of up-to-date technology result in significant delays in the administration of justice.  More research is needed to develop faster methods for analyzing DNA evidenc ... Read more »