Patent for Nano-scale Detection of Ion Channel Function in Lipoparticles

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Integral Molecular, Inc., a leader in membrane protein reagents and services, announces a patent allowance covering its technology for cell-free detection of ion channel function. The U.S. patent covers the application of Integral Molecular’s Lipoparticle technology for deriving high concentrations of functional ion channels for drug screening, antibody development, and biomedical research. Ion channels are important therapeutic targets for a wide range of human diseases and comprise approximately 15% of existing drug targets. Lipoparticle technology stems from research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania and published in the journals Science, PNAS, and Journal of Virology. US Patent No. 8,377,691 was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on February 19, 2013 to Integral Molecular.

“Development and validation of the Lipoparticle ion channel technology enabled Integral Molecular to successfully implement high-throughput screening (HTS) campaigns against ion channels, including the identification of novel anti-influenza lead compounds.”

“The Lipoparticle technology overcomes many of the challenges of conventional electrophysiological approaches for screening ion channel targets, which have largely been limited to studies with live cells or reconstituted lipid bilayers,” said Dr. Benjamin Doranz, Chief Scientific Officer at Integral Molecular and the inventor of the technology. “Development and validation of the Lipoparticle ion channel technology enabled Integral Molecular to successfully implement high-throughput screening (HTS) campaigns against ion channels, including the identification of novel anti-influenza lead compounds.”

Integral Molecular offers custom-produced Lipoparticles with user-specified membrane proteins, as well as ReadyReceptor^® Lipoparticles that contain pre-validated high-concentration membrane protein targets such as GPCRs, transporters, and ion channels. Each lot of Lipoparticles is quality controlled and provided with technical protocols for relevant applications, including antibody screening, biosensor assays, ELISA binding assays, and functional assays. Lipoparticles can be biotinylated or fluorescently labeled to accommodate specialized applications.

About Integral Molecular

Integral Molecular is a biotechnology company committed to providing innovative solutions for membrane protein research. The company has been working with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic customers and collaborators for over ten years, providing membrane protein related products and services that advance its customers’ scientific objectives.

For more information, visit Integral Molecular’s website: www.integralmolecular.com.