Inside track

Genetic polymorphism of cytochrome 450 (CYP) drug-metabolizing enzymes leads to inter-individual variability in the plasma concentrations of many drugs. Inter-individual variability among patients is a major clinical problem, as it can cause serious adverse drug reactions or therapeutic failures.

All medical devices, even when used appropriately, present a certain degree of risk to patients. Therefore, they have to be evaluated for their biocompatibility according to international harmonized standard ISO 10993-5 – Biological evaluation of medical devices, Part 5: Test for In Vitro Cytotoxicity.

Background Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. For instance, probiotics can be used in the treatment and prevention of infections and chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to their health attributes, probiotics generate considerable interest in the area of functional

The avermectins compose a class of polycyclic lactones that are used to treat parasitic worms and insect pests. They are naturally occurring compounds generated in a fermentation process by a soil actinomycete Streptomyces avermitilis.

Biodistribution (BD) studies are critical components when assessing the preclinical safety evaluation of cell and gene therapy molecules. BD analysis is generally conducted at the molecular level using a methodology that provides high sensitivity.

Why choose alternative dyes instead of "genuine" dyes? First, they are cheaper, and second, they can give the same results. Another reason is that the number of suppliers who can provide modified oligonucleotides is restricted - only a patent or a licence owner is usually allowed to produce them.