SIRS-Lab releases new biochip

The new Lab-Arraytor contains quality and process controls developed for the acclaimed Lab Arraytor 60 series. Hybridization buffers, substrate surfaces and optimized probes specially matched to one another furthermore guarantee specifity/sensitivity and reprocibility of gene expression data.

Primarily aimed at researchers in an academic or industrial enviroment, which are interested in inflammatory/immunological molecular mechanisms, the Lab-Arraytor is derived from the company's immunological-inflammatory host response research. The biochip represents most of the interleukins, interferons, chemokines, MAP-Kinases and their receptors as well as incorporating the latest findings in apoptosis, TNF, Sphingolipid and NF-kappa-B pathway as well as for the complement cascade.

Dr. Stefan Russwurm, CEO for SIRS-Lab, said: "Since product development derived from results from our own gene expression studies with more than one thousand patient samples, we are able to map genes already known and newly identified."​

Although the biochip market remains buoyant, with biotech companies, Affymetrix, Agilent and MWG already leading the way with similar products, there are no biochips specifically addressing the issue of immunological as well as inflammatory reactions.

Russwurm told DrugResearcher.com​ that new types of clinical trials involving biochip-based studies are demanded adding: "In using these biochips a better understanding in which way a lead can act and which major side effects could be expected can be obtained."​

"Distinct patient subgroups (i.e., in cancer etc.) which can benefit from a given therapy will be identified using biochip technologies from heterogenous patient populations."​

According to a report, Protein Biochips: Parallelized Screening for High-Output Biology, from market researchers BioPerspectives​, the protein biochip industry is finally demonstrating real value. The grandiose visions of technologies to study the entire human proteome are giving way to pragmatic divide-and-conquer approaches. This transition is driving the projected growth in the market from $122 million (€99.4 million) in 2002 to more than $500 million in 2008, a compound annual growth rate of more than 35 per cent.

Protein biochip systems, which appeared in 1990 with the launch of the first Biacore system, now account for 70 per cent of the protein biochip market. In 2003, this market was worth U.S.$170 million. By comparison, the worldwide market for DNA chip systems is estimated at close to U.S.$1 billion.

The Lab-Arraytor 60-inflammation is now available with an introductory discount of 15 per cent (valid up to 31st December 2004, priced at €450,00 Euro. €529,00 without discount.