UW Madison Research Park Company Simplifying Antibody Creation Technique

Invenra, Inc., a startup company that was established at the University of Wisconsin Research Park in Madison in 2011, focuses on researching ways to help the immune system battle different types of cancers. However, treating cancers involves using different drugs, and creating these drugs is a timely process. A key ingredient for fighting cancer and other autoimmune disease are antibodies, and figuring out which antibody to use to fight a certain disease is both time-consuming and costly. (Image courtesy of NASA ICE via Wikimedia Commons)

Invenra is working on a new method that will greatly decrease the time researchers spend creating the antibodies that will work against diseases. 

According to Roland Green, president of Invenra, "there is essentially an infinite number of possible human antibodies, but we don't have a billion genes for antibodies — we have blocks of genetic code that can be scrambled. If you think of each antibody gene as a word, we have a bunch of words that we can rearrange into an almost infinite number of sentences."

Invenra's new antibody creation technique involves growing antibodies in a test tube that has cellular machinery instead of actual cells, speeding up the production process. After the antibody has been made in the test tube, researchers can "screen" it to see if connects to the biological structures associated with a certain disease. This method skips over many steps in current antibody creation methods, and saves time from multiplying DNA and synthesizing antibodies from it. 

Green explained that "We don't need much antibody for the screening and that allows us to make the antibody from a single molecule of DNA." This screening process helps determine which antibodies can be used for which diseases. 

Invenra has a primary focus on using antibodies in the immune system to treat cancer. Green further explained that "in the last decade, scientists have started finding the tricks cancers use to cloak themselves from the immune system, and the idea is to use antibodies to remove the cloak so the immune system can go on the attack. The patient's immune system can be very good at hunting and destroying cancer."  

(Image of University of Wisconsin, Madison courtesy of Vonbloompasha via Wikimedia Commons)

Invenra is one of the 126 life science companies located at University Research Park in Madison, WI. Made up of 37 research buildings and 1.8 million square feet of laboratory space, University Research Park in Madison is a leader in biotechnology research and product development.

Biotechnology Calendar, Inc. produces two annual BioResearch Product Faire™ Events in Wisconsin that provide lab suppliers with the opportunity to meet with hundreds of Madison area life science researchers to promote brand awareness and increase quality leads. 

University Research Park, University of Wisconsin - 7/16/15

The 5th Annual BioResearch Product Faire™ Event at University Research Park, University of Wisconsin will be held on Thursday, July 16, 2015. At the 2014 event, life science researchers from 31 different companies came to the event to find new lab products to help further their research.

To learn more about participating in the University Research Park Event, visit the link below: 

University of Wisconsin, Madison - 7/17/15

Following the event at University Research Park, the 16th Annual BioResearch Product Faire™ Event at the University of Wisconsin, Madison will be held on Friday, July 17, 2015. Last year, life science researchers from 47 different campus buildings and 52 research departments attended the event.

To learn more about participating in this Madison event, visit the link below: