VIDO process may revolutionize cell research

February 6, 2009

Scientists at the U of S have developed technology that will likely replace the 30-year-old practice of testing on mice and revolutionize cell research in humans and larger animals.

According to a press release, the new tool—called a species-specific peptide array—was created by scientists at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) to help scientists analyze kinases (key regulatory molecules in cells) and could lead to a host of better drugs for human disease and a better understanding of the workings of cancer. 

 “This technology is very simple, relatively inexpensive, and can be adopted in any lab,” said project leader Scott Napper. “Scientists can customize it to look at whatever cell function they want to analyze.”

The VIDO team has found that their new technology more accurately replicates the workings of human disease and immunity than the same experiments would on mice.  The new tool is described in an article published in the Jan.  20 edition of Science Signaling magazine and the technology is rapidly gaining popularity among the scientific community.