ProtoKinetix公司对合成抗冻甘油蛋白质进行商品化

人工合成的抗冻甘油蛋白质能够在低达零下15度的温度下保护红细胞。

在抗冻甘油蛋白质分子存在的情况下，溶血速度大大降低。实际上，红细胞在合成抗冻甘油蛋白质溶液中，在零下15度的条件下保存9个小时，有98%的红细胞完好无损。而没有使用合成抗冻甘油蛋白质保护的红细胞暴露于这个温度的话，则完全被破坏了。

在过去50年中的研究显示：在极端气候下生存的鱼类、昆虫、植物以及爬行类动物中发现的天然抗冻甘油蛋白质，能够在低于0度的条件下保护细胞、组织以及器官。实验证实，合成抗冻甘油蛋白质能够发挥与天然抗冻甘油蛋白质相同的功能。合成抗冻甘油蛋白质是由Jean-Charles Quirion 博士发明的，正在由ProtoKinetix公司进行商品化。Quirion博士是该公司科学顾问委员会的成员。

ProtoKinetix公司总裁John Todd博士指出：“这种分子业已证实的稳定性和无毒性，包括保护细胞的能力，是非常令人鼓舞的。尽管保护各种各样细胞、组织以及器官的测试正在进行之中，ProtoKinetix公司现在觉得这是一个开始商业化探索的合适时机。”
 
New Way to Preserve Blood, Tissues
 
Synthesized antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) have shown the ability to protect red blood cells at temperatures down to -15o C.

The rate of hemolysis was dramatically reduced with the presence of the AFGP molecule. In fact, 98% of red blood cells were intact after being subjected to a temperature of -15o C for nine hours in a solution of synthetic AFGP. The red blood cells that were not protected by the synthetic AFGP were all destroyed when exposed to this temperature.

Research over the last 50 years has shown that natural AFGPs found in extreme-climate fish, insects, plants, and reptiles can preserve cells, tissues, and organs at sub-zero temperatures. Experiments prove that the synthetic AFGP functions in the same way as does the naturally occurring AFGP. The synthetic AFGP was developed by Dr. Jean-Charles Quirion and is being commercialized by ProtoKinetix, Inc. (Vancouver, Canada). Dr. Quirion is a member of the company’s scientific advisory board.

“The proven stability and nontoxicity of this molecule, in addition to the ability to preserve cells, is very encouraging,” noted Dr. John Todd, president ProtoKinetix. “Although testing will be ongoing with the preservation of various cells, tissues, and organs, ProtoKinetix now feels that it is in a position to commence commercial exploitation.”