Welcome to TFC BioSciences, Inc. TFC BioSciences develops and manufactures liposome-based fluorescence detection systems – Fluorosomes® – for applications in drug discovery and related fields. Utilizing the Fluorosome® platform we are continuously expanding our technology to develop smart tools for “ADMET” studies in drug discovery.
The basic platform – Fluorosome®–trans – measures passive drug diffusion through the membrane bilayer, yielding the property “membrane permeability”, which is predictive of tissue absorption e.g. oral absorption of a drug.
Our flagship product is the Fluorosome®–trans-pgp assay. This high throughput inhibition assay is an innovative “stand alone” platform for characterizing P-glycoprotein/drug interactions. The P-glycoprotein is a key drug efflux pump responsible for poor oral drug absorption and penetration into the brain, as well as multi-drug resistance in tumors. Unlike older vesicle assay systems formed from heterogeneous membrane fragments, Fluorosome-trans-pgp consists of highly purified functional P-glycoprotein reconstituted in unilamellar liposomes.
Fluorosome® –trans-pgp Inhibition Assay Advantages
- Specificity: Fluorosome®-trans-pgp contains only the P-glycoprotein transporter
- Low Sample Requirement: 50 μl or less of Fluorosome®-trans-pgp Reagent per assay means that only small amounts of test substances are required – e.g. a 10 μM drug inhibition assay requires ≤ 0.5 nanomole drug
- Speed: 30 seconds per inhibition assay – e.g. an 8 point IC50 determination + 2 references takes only 5 minutes
- Cost: Cost is lower than conventional cell-based assays
- Convenience: Real time kinetic measurement and full analysis in a fluorescence microplate reader
- Popular format: 96 well half-volume or 384 well microplates – one well per control or inhibition assay
- Full coverage: inhibition at either or both the H and R sites of P-glycoprotein
- Dynamic Range: IC50 determinations over a concentration range of > 1000
- Simple assay procedure: No sterile conditions, non-compound specific, no radiolabel or LC-MS
- Amenable to robotics