癌癥研究院與ABSCIEX合作用質譜成像技術研究癌癥擴散

　　癌癥研究院(The Institute of Cancer Research，ICR)的一個重要研究領域，是研究癌癥在人體內的擴散，從而來確定新穎有效的治療方案。為了推進這項研究，ICR與全球生命科學分析技術的領導者AB SCIEX的科學家們合作，將先進的基于質譜的組織成像方法標準化。ICR的科研人員使用AB SCIEX的質譜技術增進對癌癥擴散的了解，即所謂的癌癥轉移，90%的癌癥患者均因癌癥轉移死亡。

　　生物醫學研究界繼續面臨著復雜艱巨的挑戰——需不斷發展新的方法來應對癌癥的惡化。ICR為應對這一挑戰的方法之一是，研究與癌細胞轉移有關的細胞間的通訊。這一方法可以揭示出參與轉移的分子，可被作為靶標開發新藥。

　　ICR與AB SCIEX的科學家合作，使用最先進的高分辨組織成像技術，研究腫瘤微環境如何促使癌細胞擴散，從而推進了這一研究項目。癌癥研究者們正在使用質譜技術從事非目標物的發現、觀察腫瘤的特定區域、研究這些區域中存在的蛋白以及是如何促進細胞轉移過程的。

　　研究中使用了AB SCIEX 的TOF/TOF 5800系統，它是一套MALDI-TOF/TOF(基質輔助激光解吸離子化飛行時間串聯)質譜，MALDI-TOF/TOF的工作原理是，從復雜的生物組織樣本中直接解吸出分子，并通過分子量鑒定單個蛋白的組成。AB SCIEX的系統是最快的，最靈敏的基于MALDI源的質譜，它能幫助科學家們在不到一天內就能完成通常其它同類質譜需要幾周才能完成的工作。

　　癌癥研究院的項目負責人Janine Erler說，“在癌癥研究院，我們的主要目標之一就是促進開發新的抗癌治療方案。與AB SCIEX在基于質譜成像技術的合作，將幫助我們發現在癌細胞擴散過程中起重要作用的新的分子。”

　　AB SCIEX副總裁兼藥物和蛋白質組業務部總經理Dave Hicks說，“我們的任務是持續幫助癌癥和其它疾病的研究人員，為他們提供發現新信息的強大質譜技術，從而幫助他們實現藥物研發中重大突破和新發展。我們的技術涉及范圍廣，科學家可以選擇他們認為是最合適的研究手段。同癌癥研究院Erler博士的團隊合作，我們能夠滿足他們對于先進成像技術的要求，該技術可以使他們重要的研究獲得成功。”

　　關于AB SCIEX

　　AB SCIEX是生命科學分析技術開發領域的全球領先企業，幫助科學家應對復雜的科學挑戰。公司提供科學儀器、軟件和服務，用于發現新藥、促進醫學科學發展、保護食品供應鏈和環境。AB SCIEX的技術解決方案結合了最高的性能和最高的穩定性，確保我們的用戶進行科學發現、可靠地傳遞結果和提高生命質量。AB SCIEX擁有近超過20年的創新歷史，在市場中一直出于領先地位，其前身為美國應用生物系統公司(Applied Biosystems)和美迪希(MDS)實驗儀器公司的合資企業。更多資料請訪問官網：www.absciex.com。

　　癌癥研究院(ICR)

　　· ICR 是歐洲領先的癌癥研究中心

　　· 高等教育基金委員會的研究評估結果表明，在英國科研中心中ICR名列前茅

　　· ICR與伙伴單位皇家馬斯登NHS基金信托機構保持著緊密的合作關系，共同保證患者能夠盡快從新的研究中獲益。這兩個組織均為歐洲大型癌癥研究中心。

　　· ICR具有慈善機構的性質并依靠捐款，總收入的每1英鎊中有90便士用于研究

　　· 作為倫敦市的一所大學，ICR同時也提供國際承認的碩士研究生高等教育學歷

　　· ICR擁有超過100年的歷史，其的成就包括鑒別吸煙和肺癌之間的潛在聯系(這一成果收到了認可)，發現導致癌癥的基本原因是DNA被破壞，并且，與世界上去其它組織相比，隔離了更多與癌癥有關的基因。

　　更多信息請瀏覽www.icr.ac.uk。

　　參考英文原文：

The Institute of Cancer Research and AB SCIEX Target the Spread of Disease Revealed through Mass Spectrometry Imaging

Collaboration to improve and standardize methods for studying cancer metastasis with MALDI-TOF/TOF technology

　　Foster City, California- February 15, 2011

　　A key research area for The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) is investigating the spread of cancer in the human body in an effort to identify new and effective treatment strategies.To help advance this research, the ICR is collaborating with scientists at AB SCIEX, a global leader in life science analytical technologies, to standardize advanced methods of mass spectrometry-based tissue imaging. ICR researchers are using AB SCIEX mass spectrometry technology to better understand this spread of disease, known as metastasis, which is responsible for approximately 90 percent of cancer patient deaths.

　　The biomedical research community continues to face the complex challenge of developing strategies to address the progression of cancer. One of the ways in which the ICR is contributing to efforts to address this challenge is by studying communication between cells associated with the spread of cancer, revealing molecules involved in metastasis that can be targeted with new drugs.

　　The ICR's collaboration with scientists at AB SCIEX enhances this research project by applying the latest advancements in high-resolution, tissue imaging technology to investigate how aspects of the tumor micro-environment drive the spread of cancer. The cancer researchers are using mass spectrometry to conduct non-targeted discovery, looking at specific regions of the tumor, investigating proteins that are present in these regions and how they enhance metastatic progression.

　　The technology being used is the AB SCIEX TOF/TOF 5800 System, a MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight technology) system, which works by desorbing molecules directly from complex biological tissue samples and identifying the individual protein components by their molecular weight. This AB SCIEX system is the fastest, most sensitive MALDI-based mass spectrometer, enabling scientists to achieve in less than a day what takes more than weeks on other MALDI-based systems.

　　Janine Erler, Team Leader, The Institute of Cancer Research

　　"One of our major goals at The Institute of Cancer Research is to contribute to the development of new anti-cancer treatments. This collaboration with AB SCIEX on mass spectrometry-based imaging will help us discover new molecules that are critical to cancer spread."

　　Dave Hicks, Vice President and General Manager of the Pharmaceutical and Proteomics Business, AB SCIEX

　　"We are committed to continue helping researchers of cancer and other diseases apply the power of mass spectrometry to uncover new information that could lead to major breakthroughs and new developments in drugs. Our broad range of technologies allows scientists to choose what is most appropriate for their research. With Dr Erler's team at The Institute of Cancer Research, we were able to meet their need for advanced imaging technology that is contributing to the success of their important research."

　　About AB SCIEX

　　AB SCIEX is a global leader in the development of life science analytical technologies that help answer complex scientific challenges. The company provides scientific instrumentation, software and services used to discover new drugs, advance medical science and protect the food supply and the environment. AB SCIEX technology solutions combine the highest performance with the highest reliability to enable our customers to fuel scientific discovery, deliver results with confidence and improve the quality of life. The company has a more than 20-year history of innovation and market leadership as the former Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies joint venture. For more information about AB SCIEX, go to www.absciex.com.

　　The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)

　　· The ICR is Europe's leading cancer research centre

　　· The ICR has been ranked the UK's top academic research centre, based on the results of the Higher Education Funding Council's Research Assessment Exercise

　　· The ICR works closely with partner The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust to ensure patients immediately benefit from new research. Together the two organisations form the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe

　　· The ICR has charitable status and relies on voluntary income, spending 90 pence in every pound of total income directly on research

　　· As a college of the University of London, the ICR also provides postgraduate higher education of international distinction

　　· Over its 100-year history, the ICR's achievements include identifying the potential link between smoking and lung cancer which was subsequently confirmed, discovering that DNA damage is the basic cause of cancer and isolating more cancer-related genes than any other organisation in the world

　　For more information visit www.icr.ac.uk

　　英文原文鏈接：http://www.absciex.com/Company/News-Room/The-Institute-of-Cancer-Research-and-AB-SCIEX-Target-the-Spread-of-Disease-Revealed-through-Mass-Spectrometry-Imaging-