Kolahdouzan M, Ghazisaeidi S, Tu Y, Muley M, Gambeta E, Salter M (2025) Meningeal macrophages mask incision pain sensitization in male rats. Mol Pain doi: 10.1177/17448069251383593
Objective: To investigate whether CD206+macrophages in the meninges play a role in regulating nociception and pain hypersensitivity.
Summary: The results indicate that while CD206+ meningeal macrophages do not regulate basal nociception in naïve rats, they mask mechanical hypersensitivity in male rats after skin incision injury. Thus, we conclude that in a sex-dependent manner, CD206+ meningeal macrophages prevent the spread of pain hypersensitivity after a minor injury.
Usage: Rats were injected intrathecally (30 μl) with saline, CD206-Saporin (20 μg mannose-receptor antibody and 7 μg of Streptavidin-ZAP in 30 μl), or Rabbit-IgG-Saporin (control).
Have you been wondering if ordering in bulk is the better move for your upcoming project? Wondering if there is pricing incentive when buying larger quantities? The quick answer is yes!
The best cost per microgram is larger 1 mg size, where we typically give the biggest price break and seeing upwards of a 20% discount when comparing four 250 ug vials and the 1 mg vial.
Another benefit of ordering in bulk is maintaining lot consistency for your project. This allows you to develop a consistent protocol and not have to be concerned with variability in batch-to-batch protein concentrations.
We understand that typically the upfront cost of buying in bulk can be the limiting factor, so I want to take a second and let you know that we also offer plans where you can reserve 1-2 mg over a 12-month period for a specific lot, and just pay for the amount that you draw down.
ATS offers a custom biotinylation service to biotinylate antibodies and peptides, especially when customers plan to use them with our Streptavidin-ZAP.
We have been seeing a trend of variability with commercially available antibodies, where customers will see over or under derivatization of material and this can be an issue if you plan to use it with Streptavidin-ZAP.
There are a few fundamentals to look for when choosing/creating your biotinylated targeting agent:
(1) the linker doesn’t impair target-binding affinity,
(2) the linker should be stable and
(3) the linker should be able to release payload efficiently.
Important details to know about your biotinylated targeting agent:
(1) the ratio of biotin to the protein,
(2) unreacted biotin is purified away
(3) the length of linker because long linkers could interfere with binding and
(4) location of where biotin is attached such that important protein side-chains weren’t impacted.
If any of these parameters are unfamiliar to you or you weren’t given these details, then I strongly encourage you to talk to us about a custom biotinylation service.
Pandala N, De Melo Haefeli L, Lang M, Stone EM, Mullins RF, Tucker BA, Han IC (2025) Development of a targeted choroidal injury model for the study of retinal degenerations and therapeutic cell replacement. bioRxiv 2025.07.29.667466. doi: 10.1101/2025.07.29.667466
Objective: To report a new targeted choroidal injury model using saporin conjugates and compare them to models of systemic sodium iodate administration.
Summary: Suprachoroidal administration of Anti-CD38-SAP or Anti-CD105-SAP resulted in severe choroidal vascular injury localized to the injection site, without damage to adjacent choroidal vasculature, progressive injury over time, or development of choroidal neovascularization. By contrast, sodium iodate treated animals had rapid, diffuse choroidal loss which progressed throughout the study time points, with fatal systemic side effects at the highest (75 mg/kg) dose.
Usage: Anti-CD38-SAP (IT-96) or Anti-CD105-SAP (IT-80) were diluted in sterile PBS at a concentration of 0.05 μg/μl. To induce selective choroidal cell injury, 10μl of saporin conjugate solution was delivered via suprachoroidal injection.
Streptavidin-ZAP (streptavidinylated saporin) combines with your biotinylated material to make a targeted toxin.
Unlike a secondary antibody binding to a primary antibody, the bond between streptavidin and biotin is rapid, essentially non-reversible, unaffected by most extremes of pH, organic solvents and denaturing reagents. It is essentially the strongest known noncovalent biological bond between protein and ligand.
Streptavidin-ZAP is super modular and works with biotinylated antibodies, peptides, growth factor, aptamers, anything that will recognize a cell surface receptor and can be biotinylated.
We have kits available which will also include an appropriate control conjugate depending on the species of antibody you’re using or if you’re using a peptide.
There are dozens of publications of using Streptavidin-ZAP in vivo.
Lee H, Hor CC, Horwitz LR, Xiong A, Su XY, Soden DR, Yang S, Cai W, Zhang W, Li C, Radcliff C, Dinh A, Fung TLR, Rovcanin I, Pipe KP, Xu XZS, Duan B (2025) A dedicated skin-to-brain circuit for cool sensation in mice. Nat Commun 16(1):6731. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-61562-y PMID: 40721582
Objective: To investigate the functional contributions of specific spinal dorsal horn neuron subtypes to cold and pain sensation using targeted ablation and optogenetic tools.
Summary: The study identifies Calb1+ spinal neurons as essential mediators of cool sensation in mice. Behavioral and physiological responses following targeted ablation reveal distinct sensory processing roles for various neuronal subtypes.
Usage: Bombesin-SAP (IT-40), or control conjugate Blank-SAP (IT-21), was administered intrathecally at a dose of 400 ng in 10 μL sterile saline to ablate GRPR+ spinal neurons and assess their role in sensory behavior.
When or Why should you switch from using a secondary conjugate (like Fab-ZAP or Streptavidin-ZAP) to a direct saporin conjugate?
If you are working in vitro and using our secondary conjugates to specifically screening numerous targeting agents, then I would say “stay the course” and continue using these types of products. They are quick, effective and economical in screening antibodies.
However, if you are working in vivo and have been using our Streptavidin-ZAP to screen your biotinylated targeting agent, I would strongly suggest you contact us about performing a direct saporin conjugation.
Two reasons why you would want a direct conjugate:
1st is Cost effectiveness. Streptavidin-ZAP is great at assessing your targeting agent, but when looking downstream at the cost to create bulk mg sized batches, a direct conjugate would provide double the yield with equivalent cost.
2nd is Homogeneity. Since the targeting agent is directly-labeled with saporin, we end up with a product that is more homogeneous versus a conjugate made with various components and various labeling.
pHast Conjugates are one of our fastest tools to quantitatively test your primary antibody’s specificity, binding, and internalization, providing results in 1 day.
The pHast conjugate binds to your primary antibody via a secondary antibody cross-linked to a pH-dependent fluorescent reporter. This fluorescent reporter will increase intensity as the pH of its surroundings becomes more acidic, such as you would see on the inside of a cell.
pHast conjugates can be used with any fluorescence visualization device like a fluorescent plate reader, fluorescent microscope and can be used to illuminate your lead antibody candidates with same-day results.
Saporin conjugates can be used to create animal knockout models including Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, narcolepsy, epilepsy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Genetic knockouts can be expensive, time-consuming, and with unwanted conditions
Disease models with saporin conjugates are ready in 2 weeks and are less expensive
Nazmuddin M, Stammes MA, Klink PC, Vernes MK, Bakker J, Langermans JAM, van Laar T, Philippens IHCHM (2025) Stereotactic lesioning of cholinergic cells by injection of ME20.4 Saporin in the nucleus basalis of Meynert in a rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). J Neuropathol Exp Neurol nlaf081. doi: 10.1093/jnen/nlaf081 PMID: 40673943
Objective: To describe a procedure to inject ME20.4-SAP, an immunotoxin that specifically binds to and depletes cholinergic neurons stereotactically into the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) of a rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).
Summary: A digital non-human primate brain atlas was co-registered to the brain of the monkey. A custom-designed cranial chamber was also implanted to the skull to guide the injection. The effects of the ME20.4-SAP injections were evaluated in vivo with PET-CT using [18F]-FEOBV as a radiotracer. This approach yielded reliable spatial accuracy and successful delivery of ME20.4-SAP into the NBM. This saporin-mediated selective destruction of cholinergic neurons in the NBM, using MRI-guidance and a cranial chamber, offers a promising method to study the pathophysiology of NBM degeneration and possible therapeutic interventions.
Usage: The first dose was chosen based on previous NBM lesioning works in common marmosets where infusing 1.4 μg ME20.4-SAP (Cat. #IT-15, in a concentration of 0.20 μg/μl) into each side of the NBM produced partial NBM depletion. At the second injection session, 5 μg ME20.4-SAP (in 0.5 μg/μl solution) was administered into each NBM side.
