FOSTER CITY, Calif.—Global life science analytical technologiescompany AB SCIEX has entered into a collaboration with Salt Lake City-basedARUP Laboratories, a major clinical reference laboratory in the United States,to develop new test methods for clinical research laboratories to consideradopting to improve hormone analysis.
To do this, ARUP researchers are using AB SCIEX QTRAP 5500mass spectrometry technology to obtain results that the two companies say werepreviously unavailable to clinical researchers and will "help deliver betteranswers that can be used to improve healthcare."
According to AB SCIEX, forging a collaboration with aleading clinical reference laboratory is a conscious decision to help furtherdrive an industry-wide move toward increased use of mass spectrometry toconduct hormone analysis.
"The shift to mass spectrometry-based clinical researchcontinues to rapidly accelerate. To have a leading clinical referencelaboratory such as ARUP Laboratories utilize QTRAP technology for methoddevelopment reinforces the importance of high sensitivity that AB SCIEXtechnology delivers," says Joe Anacleto, vice president and general manager ofthe Applied Markets and Clinical Research Business of AB SCIEX. "By being atrusted partner with clinical researchers, AB SCIEX is able to make it easierfor laboratories to adopt mass spectrometry and obtain better answers."
Because many hormones exist in extremely low abundance,immunoassay-based approaches are often plagued by interferences, preventingthem from obtaining accurate measurements, AB SCIEX and ARUP note. To addressthis challenge, ARUP turned to QTRAP technology to obtain a higher level ofsensitivity, which is needed to perform the most accurate quantitation of lowabundant hormones, especially free hormones, while confirming the results withqualitative capabilities within the same system.
"Our mission in the mass spectrometry lab of ARUP is to pushthe limits of quantitation as low as we can, so we can deliver better resultsfor clinical research," says Dr. Alan Rockwood, scientific director of the MassSpectrometry Lab at ARUP Laboratories. "Our collaboration with AB SCIEX, whosescientists have taken the time to understand our stringent requirements, givesus access to mass spectrometry technology that helps us to fulfill our purpose.By providing more accurate answers than previously possible, we are supportingefforts to improve medical care."
AB SCIEX provides what it maintains is thehighest-sensitivity instrumentation on the market today as part of a simple,four-step workflow for mass spectrometry-based clinical research. The AB SCIEXQTRAP 5500 System combines high sensitivity and speed on a platform thatintegrates quantitative and qualitative analysis, representing a "better typeof triple quadrupole," the company says.
In collaboration with AB SCIEX scientists, ARUP researchersare using this technology to develop new test methods that AB SCIEX plans toturn into preconfigured iMethod tests available for download into AB SCIEXCliquid Software, which is an application that is said to significantlysimplify the use of advanced mass spectrometry technology for clinicalresearch.
AB SCIEX's senior product manager for the clinical products,Lisa Sapp, tells ddn that thecollaboration is expected to conclude in about a year, but could not share anydetails about possible cost or even pricing ranges for the iMethods Test thatwould be generated from this collaboration, saying, "Nothing has been decidedyet."
As for how the companies came together on this project, Sappsays, "ARUP has been a longtime customer of AB SCIEX. Both companies have an interest in helping people realizethe benefits of LC MS MS for clinical research."
AB Sciex and GeneBio enhance library searching for mass spec
GENEVA, Switzerland—AB SCIEX also recently teamed up withGeneva Bioinformatics SA (also known as GeneBio) to co-market joint solutionsto improve the ability of scientists to conduct rapid screening of large setsof molecules.
According to the companies, GeneBio's SmileMS softwareprovides advanced library searching capabilities that can be used with ABSCIEX's mass spectrometers and software applications. SmileMS can be used withthe broad range of AB SCIEX systems, including triple quadrupole and QTRAPsystems, as well as the new TripleTOF 5600 System.
These solutions are already being used for both targeted andunknown screening in numerous fields, but Joe Anacleto, vice president andgeneral manager of AB Sciex's Applied Markets and Clinical Research business,says that together, they can enhance the identification and visualization ofanalytes.
"We continue to provide added value to our customers byworking with companies like GeneBio," Anacelto says. "We believe theintegration of SmileMS with our industry-leading systems will create newopportunities to improve results in clinical and forensic toxicology, amongother fields that can take advantage of these capabilities."
Nasri Nahas, CEO of GeneBio, adds: "AB SCIEX customers willhave the advantage of using the best-in-class capabilities of SmileMS softwarefor the identification of small molecules by mass spectrometry for fast routineanalysis and in-depth research. We are extremely pleased to partner with ABSCIEX, a global leader in mass spectrometry technologies that has set the tonefor innovation in this field. This relationship helps us to focus our effortsand expertise on software development to continue serving our customers' needswith powerful solutions."
Financial details of the partnership were not released.
