New TaqMan^® Gene Signature Panels speed up drug discovery

Applied Biosystems has released a new series of TaqMan Low Density Array Gene Signature Panels, aiming to accelerate drug discovery research by determining the expression levels of genes encoding proteins involved with critical cellular functions.

The TaqMan arrays are micro fluidic cards which allow 384 simultaneous real-time PCR reactions without the need for robotics, and are designed for the Applied Biosystems 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR Systems. The assays are extremely sensitive, capable of detecting very few copies of nucleic acids present in a sample.

The new TaqMan panels address G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), ATP-binding cassette (ABC)transporters and the apoptosis pathway, three areas that have been creating special interest in drug discovery. GPCRs, for example, are being targeted by drugs already marketed for heart failure, high blood pressure, breast cancer and schizophrenia. The human ABC Transporter Panel analyses the mechanisms that regulate transport across the cell membrane and mediate the export of drugs in tumour cells, affecting drug resistance. The Human Apoptosis Panel specifically evaluates the effectiveness of cancer drugs; breakdowns in the regulation of apoptotic pathways have been associated with resistance to chemotherapy treatments. These new molecular tools are an extension of Applied Biosystems' existing line of TaqMan Low Density Array Gene Signature Panels, which also includes panels for human immune tolerance and kinase proteins.

The complete line of TaqMan gene signature and custom panels, as well as more than 700,000 individual TaqMan Gene Expression Assays for human, mouse, rat, Arabidopsis, Drosophila, C. elegans, Rhesus macaque and canine genes, are available via the article webpage.