The research team confirmed in an experiment on rats that the injection can be used to monitor inflammatory responses by looking at whether the enzymes have been activated or not. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean research team has developed a video technology that can monitor various inflammatory responses within the human body in real-time.
A joint research team from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Seoul National University Medical School used Caspase-1, an enzyme activated in the initial phase of inflammatory response, for the study.
An injection was designed to light up when the enzyme is activated and cleaves proteins into peptides.
The injection attached a fluorescent substance and quenchers to the peptide cleaved by Caspase-1.
When the enzyme is not activated, the quencher attached to the peptide prevents fluorescent substances from lighting up.
When it is activated, however, the quencher is detached from the peptide as it is cleaved by Caspase-1, allowing the fluorescent substance to light up.
The research team confirmed in an experiment on rats that the injection can be used to monitor inflammatory responses by looking at whether the enzymes have been activated or not.
In the case of a rat suffering from colitis, the intestines normally begin to sustain heavy damage 6 days after inflammation occurs, showing symptoms of weight loss and bloody excrement.
The injection was able to track this disease in just two or three days through light signals. The fluorescent substance is then excreted in three days without any toxic impacts.
“We’ll be able to use this technology to monitor inflammatory substances and track inflammatory diseases at an earlier stage,” said Kwon Ik-chan, a researcher at KIST.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
