Apoptosis
M30 Apoptosense® ELISA and M30 CytoDeath™ ELISA
Apoptosis is a programmed and controlled cell death mechanism that becomes activated by either intracellular or extracellular stimuli. This is a process normal to the body, serving to eliminate damaged or senescent cells and to remodel cells and tissue during development . In other words, apoptosis serves many normal functions and is not necessarily associated with cell injury.
However, many pathological states also result in apoptosis. This is the body’s own way of eliminating damaged and dangerous cells without causing collateral tissue damage, thus minimizing the effects of a disease or exposure to a toxic substance.
The activation of the apoptotic pathways results in DNA fragmentation, membrane blebbing and the break down of intracellular compontents, such as the protein keratin 18 (K18), and ultimately cell fragmentation into apoptotic bodies.
M30 APOPTOSENSE® ELISA M30 CytoDeath™ ELISA M30 APOPTOSENSE® ELISA M30 CytoDeath™ ELISA M30 APOPTOSENSE® ELISA M30 CytoDeath™ ELISA M30 APOPTOSENSE® ELISA M30 CytoDeath™ ELISA M30 APOPTOSENSE® ELISA M30 CytoDeath™ ELISA
Keratin 18 in Apoptosis
Apoptosis in cells is initiated by extracellular death ligands or intracellular , leading to the activation of caspases, in particular caspase-3 and caspase-7, that dismantle intracellular components. One of the proteins being cleaved by caspases is the intermediate filament protein Keratin 18 (K18), a highly expressed protein in epithelial cell tissue.
K18 is an important component of the cytoskeleton and has mechanical functions providing cells with stability, as well as nonmechanical functions such as modulation of protein synthesis and organelle positioning.
During apoptosis, K18 is cleaved by caspases at a unique aspartate, exposing a epitope that is recognized by the M30® antibody in blood and tissue.
The M30 ELISA kits
The M30 Apoptosense® ELISA and the M30 CytoDeath™ ELISA, both based on the unique M30 antibody, quantify the levels of soluble caspase-cleaved K18 fragment and thus measure the amount of human apoptosis.
The M30 ELISA kits
PRODUCT
M30 Apoptosense® ELISA
The M30 Apoptosense® ELISA measures the amount of apoptosis in human serum, plasma or cell culture supernatant by quantifying caspase-cleaved keratin 18 (ccK18).
The assay is based on the unique M30 antibody that recognizes a neo-epitope of keratin 18 (K18), formed after caspase cleavage during apoptosis.
PRODUCT
M30 CytoDeath™ ELISA
The M30 CytoDeath™ ELISA offers a unique possibility to measure human cell death by apoptosis in cell cultures, multicellular spheroids and organ culture systems. The M30 CytoDeath™ ELISA is a product developed for cell culture applications, with a dynamic range and sensitivity suitable for in vitro work, making it a useful drug screening tool.