Cell-in-a-Box™ technology has already been used successfully in novel research applications covered in over 40 international peer reviewed publications, but it is also a powerful enabling tool in the research laboratory, whether academic or industrial.
For example, it is now possible to create cells which produce antibodies directed against specific immune cells, enabling a highly efficient transient knock-down of specific immune cell lineages. This can get around the lengthy and costly process of generating transgenic animals and allows the function for these immune cells to be studied in the same normogenic and healthy individual animals. However, the current standard technique of injecting purified antibody results initially in high levels of antibody that then fall below the optimum response levels. The capsules, on the other hand, give a continuous and constant level of antibody production as compared to the peaks and troughs of injections. This also prevents the antibody from stimulating the adverse effects seen from the comparably high levels of antibody injection.
Additionally, only one or two doses of capsules need to be given compared to multiple injections of purified antibody (usually at least a dozen), which of course also means that less handling and injection of the animals is necessary. Such treatment with capsules is also competitive in terms of cost.
Some potential applications for Cell-in-a-Box™ technology
- Antibody production for mice
- Immobilisation of antibodies
