05-22-2009: Roche opened the Joint Science & Technology Laboratory in Basel, where Roche Pharma scientists are using the innovative xCELLigence real-time Cell Analyzer system of Roche Diagnostics to investigate hepatic and cardiac toxicities in vitro. According to the company, this new technology will improve the predictive value of in vitro assessments of organ toxicity and help to reduce animal testing in toxicity research.
“New techniques such as Real-time cell analysis with the xCELLigence system will accelerate the ability to identify the toxic potential of a compound at an early stage of drug development, which supports also Roche´s 3Rs concept of Reducing, Refining, and Replacing animal experimentation,” stated Thomas Singer, Head of Global Non-Clinical Safety at Roche Pharma.
The non-invasive and label-free xCELLigence technology is based on measuring the impedance of cells: The variations in electrical resistance are caused by changes in numbers, adhesion or shape of the cells. The data from the xCELLigence real-time impedance measurement, combined with molecular profiling of the toxic effects of compounds on cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes, will be compared to conventional cell biology assays and molecular endpoints. Based on this platform, the goal is to develop new prediction methods for target organ toxicity in vitro and identify new cellular biomarkers for toxicity prediction.
A team of researchers from Roche, including scientists from Roche Pharma Research and Early Development and Roche NimbleGen, reported in Genome Research that they have generated the first draft genome sequence of the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) and developed a novel microarray d ... more
The xCELLigence RTCA System of Roche is being used in the European Union’s DETECTIVE ("Detection of endpoints and biomarkers for repeated dose toxicity using in vitro systems”) Project, a joint study funded by the European Cosmetics Association (Colipa) and the European Commission, where Ro ... more
The deadly E. coli O104 strain that has killed dozens and hospitalized thousands across Europe has been sequenced using 454 Life Sciences’ benchtop GS Junior sequencing system to generate the “most accurate and detailed genetic analysis to date” of this particularly virulent strain. The seq ... more
The main focus in proteomic studies is on the identification of proteins in given biological samples. Proteins isolated and separated from a given sample (e.g., whole cell lysates, blood or tissue, protein complexes) by immunoprecipitation or affinity chromatography or two-dimensional elect ... more
Transfection of cells is one of the main techniques used to influence gene expression. Most primary cells and human skeletal myoblasts (SkMC) in particular are very difficult to transfect, whereas for cell lines such as C2C12, many suitable transfection reagents and protocols are available. ... more
One of the most interesting aspects of real-time PCR based on detection of fluorophoric-labeled oligonucleotides, such as Hydrolysis probes, and Molecular Beacons, is the possibility of being able to detect conveniently multiple targets in the same PCR reaction (multiplex PCR). Ideally, a ... more
At Roche, about 80,000 people across 150 countries are pushing back the frontiers of healthcare.
Working together, we’ve become one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare
groups. Our success is built on innovation, curiosity and diversity, and on seeing each other’s differences ... more
Roche announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the cobas HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Test which identifies women at highest risk for developing cervical cancer. This test will help physicians make early, more accurate decisions about patient care, which may preve ... more
Roche and IBM announced an agreement to develop a nanopore-based sequencer that will directly read and decode human DNA quickly and efficiently. Focused on advancing IBM’s recently published “DNA Transistor” technology, the collaboration will take advantage of IBM’s leadership in microelect ... more
caprotec bioanalytics GmbH announced that it has successfully completed a research collaboration with F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland. Under the collaboration research agreement, caprotec used its proprietary CCMS (Capture Compound Mass Spectrometry) technology to analyze the bindi ... more