瑞典Mercodia
Mercodia是来自瑞典的专注于糖尿病及心血管疾病研究工具的公司,位于瑞典生物技术产业中心Uppsala市。
Mercodia公司规模不大,产品种类也不多,但完全专注于自己的领域,在人和实验动物的胰岛素、胰岛素前体、C肽、低密度脂蛋白及脂瘦素的检测方面全球领先。
瑞典Mercodia是第一家、也是唯一一家成功开发氧化型LDL (oxidized LDL) ELISA诊断试剂盒的生产商。氧化型LDL是血管动脉硬化症的独特标志物。目前世界心血管疾病研究成果认为:脂蛋白的氧化是动脉硬化早期的重要环节,而氧化型LDL在加速动脉硬化方面起多种关键作用。
冠心病人往往其血液氧化型LDL水平很高,这表明动脉管壁上粥样硬化开始形成。而且越来越多的证据表明氧化型LDL水平与动脉硬化和冠心病形成相关,现在氧化型LDL水平也逐渐成为一种诊断依据,以便给冠心病病人提供更好更及时的治疗。
现在广泛认为动脉硬化是一种慢性炎症,而非原来认为的退行性疾病。而氧化型LDL应该是造成冠状动脉管壁粥样硬化的一种关键蛋白因子。正常动脉不含氧化性LDL,而天然型(非氧化型)LDL也不会导致动脉硬化。因此LDL的氧化是以下病理过程的关键:初期,单核巨噬细胞转变为泡沫细胞;后期,冠状动脉狭窄、纤维斑块形成、血栓形成、心肌梗塞。
循环系统的祸患
Mercodia的氧化性LDL ELISA试剂盒采用一种独特单克隆抗体。此抗体由比利时Leuven大学Paul Holvoet和Desire Collen教授研发,对氧化型LDL有很高的特异性。实验证明,氧化性LDL和冠心病的关联性比其他血液脂类、如总胆固醇、HDL-胆固醇或LDL胆固醇更高。Holvoet教授将和Mercodia一起,不断改进其检测方法。
与糖尿病的关系
动脉粥样硬化和冠心病是二型糖尿病主要死因。Mercodia发现,高氧化型LDL症候患者中,二型糖尿病患者占多数。这一重大发现预示着氧化型LDL的检测可成为鉴定(已产生动脉硬化症候的)二型糖尿病的有效指标。
Mercodia is a world-leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of high quality diagnostic immunoassay kits. We specialize in ELISA assays for clinical as well as research applications, notably within cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. We offer assays applicable in both human and mammalian models
Mercodia provides a professional support system by collaborating with worldwide customers and institutions to develop new applications for existing products and new diagnostics for emerging markets.
Mercodia was founded in 1991 and is a management owned company. Today, Mercodia supplies products to all major international markets from its facilities in Uppsala, Sweden. More than ninety percent of production is exported to over 100 countries.
Mercodia Inc, our US subsidiary, is based in Winston Salem, North Carolina and is involved in direct sales, shipping and support to our North American customers.
Our product philosophy is to offer customers diagnostic kits of the highest quality, providing excellent performance and reproducibility in a convenient and easy to use format. The use of monoclonal antibodies in the products ensures longterm reproducibility.