Advances in mass spectrometry instrumentation and sample handling methods have propelled proteomics and extended its utility for both basic biology and early drug development. Changes in protein abundance and post-translational modification state often reflect the activity of a novel therapeutic agent as well as the sensitivity/resistance of a biological system to treatment.

The importance of antibodies as tools in scientific research studies cannot be understated, yet these reagents have increasingly come under fire for their lack of reproducibility. Part of the issue is that the antibody market is composed of hundreds of vendors and resellers with varying definitions for validation and consistency. Cell Signaling Technology (CST) believes that antibody suppliers should be held accountable for the products they provide, but that vendors alone cannot solve the reproducibility “crisis." How antibodies are validated and used in the laboratory is a critical component to this process. Researchers need to be more attentive to following established protocols and leverage the expertise of the scientists who have developed and tested the product they are using. Journals need to be more active in enforcing existing policies regarding materials and methods or develop more clear-cut means to identify and describe the use of biological reagents in published research. During this webinar we will address the role vendors, researchers, and journals should play in minimizing irreproducibility. We will also outline CST’s antibody validation process, while highlighting steps all users should consider when selecting and using antibodies in their research.

Cell Signaling Technology is proud to partner with the Koch Institute at MIT, Science, and Science Signaling to present the Targeting Cancer Pathways webinar series. These webinars bring together thought leaders from around the world to share current findings and further cancer research community collaboration.

Cell Signaling Technology is proud to present the following On-Demand Webinar: 

The Use of Highly Validated Antibodies and Optimized ChIP Assays to Analyze Epigenetic Marks and Mechanism in DIsease

Sayura Aoyagi, Ph.D, CST Antibody Validation Scientist

Epigenetic modifications to DNA and histone proteins are known to regulate metabolic gene expression, which in turn impacts metabolite levels. Conversely, the machinery responsible for modifying DNA and histones at the epigenetic level is highly sensitive to metabolites arising from cellular metabolism. . .

Immune cells divide rapidly when mounting an immune response against a pathogen, for example, or when initiating a wound-healing response. To accommodate the increased energy requirements to mount the immune response, these cells may employ metabolic pathways similar to those engaged by cancer cells—pathways such as aerobic glycolysis. This correlation presents the intriguing possibility that understanding immune cell metabolism will provide new and actionable insights into the behavior of tumor cells. In this webinar, our expert speakers will explore how this phenomenon is being studied and describe how it could enable the development of new strategies in the fight against cancer. 

BioPlex: a protein interaction network created from thousands of protein immunopurifications

Steven Gygi, Ph.D
Professor in the Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School

Protein-protein interactions form a network whose structure drives cellular function and whose organization informs all biological inquiry. Using high-throughput affinity-purification mass spectrometry, we identify interacting partners for 2,594 human proteins in HEK293T cells. The resulting network (BioPlex) contains...

While it is well established that DNA damage can increase the risk of cancer, changes to the epigenome or the chromatin architecture are equally important. DNA damage triggers a redistribution of DNA-binding proteins around the site of damage, resulting in localized and temporary alteration of chromatin structure. However, repeated cycles of DNA damage and repair may lead to permanent changes in the epigenome, thereby promoting the onset of diseases such as cancer. This webinar will examine how we may be able to develop effective new therapeutic options for cancer treatment by targeting proteins responsible for chromatin modifications.

It is notable that the same pathways governing the cell growth, death, and differentiation decisions made during embryonic development are also common drivers of adult malignancy. In this webinar, we will explore the idea that a better understanding of developmental biology signaling pathways will advance our understanding of adult tumors and cancer stem cells as well as boost our ability to create effective therapeutics to fight a broad array of cancers.