Meeting the Rising Demand for Glucagon Immunoassay Testing

Glucagon is a peptide hormone produced by the pancreas. This hormone has been shown to help raise blood glucose levels in the body, so it has the opposite effect to insulin (which actively reduces blood glucose levels). Glucagon does this by triggering the liver to convert glycogen into glucose which is then released into the bloodstream. Glucagon testing is used to measure pancreatic production of glucagon, and to detect any abnormalities in glucagon production and regulation.

Glucagon testing has been performed in laboratories for a number of years, and demand for the test continues to increase. Abnormal glucagon levels could be indicative of conditions such as diabetes, infection, renal failure, hypoglycemia, glucagon-producing tumors or necrolytic migratory erythema – a type of skin rash.

Although glucagon testing has been around for decades, it has remained largely a research test. This is because specific quantitation of glucagon traditionally takes 2-3 days and uses a complex extraction process. Accurate measurement of glucagon is so challenging because different circulating proteins in the blood contain the full glucagon sequence, and assays with antibodies directed against both the N- and C-termini are required.

Manufacturing excellence

Ansh Labs operates a modern research facility in Webster, TX, USA, from which it offers custom assays, kit development and contract manufacturing services. The laboratory is ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 certified for design, development, manufacturing, services and distribution of reagents/immunoassay kits for research and in vitro diagnostic applications. These industry-leading test kits are used to advance fields such as biomedical research, target discovery and clinical diagnostics.

The Ansh Labs Glucagon ELISA is a quantitative two-step sandwich immunoassay, for the measurement of glucagon in human plasma and other biological fluids. The immunoassay identifies glucagon and oxyntomodulin, an amino acid peptide that contains the 29 amino acid sequence of glucagon, followed by an eight amino acid carboxyterminal extension.

While other existing assays may not be specific or reliable for the accurate quantitation of glucagon, Ansh Labs has worked closely with key opinion leaders, in-house scientists and advisors to develop a sensitive and specific assay.

The sensitivity and specificity of assays measuring glucagon are extremely important. Ansh Labs has screened countless monoclonal antibodies and tested numerous assay validation protocols to identify the optimal antibody pair. This monoclonal antibody pair does not cross-react with other closely related analytes such as insulin, c-peptide or thyroglobulin. This allows researchers to more accurately detect glucagon abnormalities.

As experts in their field, the Ansh Labs team strives to offer excellent customer service, as well as detailed troubleshooting support for all customers.

Visit the SelectScience^® product directory to request further details about the Ansh Labs Glucagon Test