Context

Innate immunity is the body's first line of defense against the infectious and pathogenic agents that surround us. The cell signaling pathways involved in activating innate immune system cells involve the nuclear translocation of two transcription factors, NF-kappaB and IRF3, which induce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and type 1 interferon, respectively. Many tools have been developed to screen molecules according to their ability to modulate innate immune response, but the scientific community is in general agreement that the sensitivity and specificity of these tests are not sufficient.

Benefits

This project’s main goal is to develop innovative tools for quantifying the nuclear translocation of transcription factors (IRF3 and NF-kappaB) for innate immunity by complementing protein fragments. The developed technique, called Alpha-Centauri, not only makes it possible to screen molecules in a high throughput format (HTS) quickly and easily, but has also proven its superiority over existing tests in terms of specificity and sensitivity.

Applications

Screening molecules that may be potential drugs against infections, cancer, fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, neurodegenerative disorders, chronic lung diseases, etc.