Millipore has launched Milliplex MAP EpiQuant assay panels, a new family of phosphotyrosine multiplex assays for cell signalling research.
These assays are said to give researchers a more complete view of how cells send molecular signals, which can lead to improved therapies to combat cancer, autoimmune and other diseases.
The Milliplex MAP EpiQuant platform quantifies numerous signals coming from either a single protein, multiple proteins in a pathway, or multiple pathways.
Milliplex MAP EpiQuant assays have much greater throughput than other multiplex assays. Prior to the introduction of the new assays, multiplex assays could be used to simultaneously measure up to 10 different analytes in one well of a multiwell plate. By comparison, Milliplex MAP EpiQuant assays allow simultaneous measurement of more than 40 analytes in one well, so whole pathways can be analysed in a single 96-well plate.
Researchers can also use Milliplex MAP EpiQuant panels to detect cross-talk between pathways. Traditional signalling assays only reveal relative changes in protein levels, requiring normalization for cross-pathway analysis. Milliplex MAP EpiQuant assays provide absolute quantitation of total and phosphorylated proteins, enabling direct comparison of signalling events in different pathways.
EpiQuant technology uses computational algorithms to guide the development of highly specific antibodies, and the Luminex xMAP platform provides bead-based, high throughput, multiplex analysis.