Cell and Gene Therapies: From Concept to Commercialization

When assessing a potential biological therapeutic candidate, several histopathological technologies are typically employed. This ensures the target expression is validated in both normal and diseased tissues before proceeding with pre-clinical studies. Protein B is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is overexpressed in numerous cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer and is often correlated with the metastatic phenotype. In this GEN webinar, we will discuss the process involved in a typical molecular pathology laboratory. Control cell lines and the RNAScope® Assay were utilized to validate the immunohistochemistry protocol.

Current liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods used to detect monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in biological samples are focused on targeted tryptic peptide quantitation, which requires that the mAbs undergo tryptic digestion before analysis. The use of digestion complicates the workflow and can affect the results obtained. Therefore, there is an increasing interest to simplify the workflow, by developing improved methods which can detect the intact antibody or larger antibody fragments.

The prevalence of thyroid disease worldwide has served as a catalyst for healthcare providers to study various tools and methods to assist in thyroid disease management. During this session, Dr. Aw will provide a brief introduction to thyroid disease, as well as the clinical guidelines related to thyroid function tests (TFTs). Dr. Aw will also go on to explain the advantages of using TFTs as an effective tool with which to monitor thyroid health. Further, Dr. Aw will shed light on the clinical relevance and utilization of the thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) test, while considering published data and findings to outline its benefits. Join us to learn more about the important role that the laboratory plays in assessing thyroid health and disease management.

We are all keenly aware that viruses can negatively impact our lives, but what about viruses that shape our existence and even improve some of its outcomes? In the past several decades, advances in cell and gene therapies have exploded due to innovations with adeno-associated virus (AAV). Yet, given its small genomic size, the life cycle of AAV is surprisingly complex. Understanding this life cycle will be pivotal to developing new and improved methods of AAV vector manufacture that can meet the industry’s increasing needs. Interestingly, in nature, AAV co-exists with adenovirus, with the latter providing help during the AAV life cycle. Thus, taking cues from nature, investigators have developed a novel tetracycline enhanced self-silencing adenoviral (TESSA) helper system that allows for contaminant-free AAV manufacture.