For Research Use Only. Not for Clinical Use.

The half-life of a drug refers to the time it takes for a drug in the body to decrease to 50%. The drug half-life reflects the metabolic status of the drug in the body. It is not only an important parameter of pharmacokinetics, but also an effective indicator of drug elimination rate, which is the main basis for determining the dosage and frequency of administration.

Pulse-chase Assay

Pulse-chase analysis is a well-established and highly adaptable tool for studying the life cycle of drug. It is also the most popular method to measure the half-life of drugs such as proteins and peptides since it has minimal interference to normal cell growth and metabolism. A pulse-chase experiment consists of two phases: 1) in the pulse phase, drugs are exposed to a labeling compound that is integrated into newly synthesized macromolecules of interest; 2) In the second phase, the chase phase, the same compound in the unlabeled form is added in excess, replacing the labeled form. Any macromolecules synthesized during the chase phase will not be labeled. Throughout the chase, the amount of macromolecules were synthesized during the pulse diminish due to degradation processes. Tracking their amount over time delivers a curve that we call the decay pattern.

Half-life Assay by Pulse-chase in Creative Biolabs

Based on years of experience, we have built an advanced half-life extension platform. A range of half-life assay is available at our lab, including pulse-chase assay. Typically, the drug of interest is first metabolically labeled for a short period of time with a radioactive precursor. During the subsequent chase period, an excess of nonradioactive precursor molecules is added to the culture to prevent further incorporation of the radiolabel into drugs. At different times during the chase period, samples are adsorbed and precipitated by targeted substances. Finally, the radiolabeled drug is quantified by fluorescence analysis.

Fig.1 Illustration of the pulse-chase experiment. (Nissley, 2016)

Creative Biolabs is dedicated to providing the first-in-class drug half-life assay service for our customers worldwide. With years of experience, we have developed a series of innovative drug half-life research platforms. We have a professional team and complete facilities, which can provide customers with personalized analysis services. If you are interested in our services and products or have any questions about Half-life assay by Pluse-chase, please feel free to contact us for more detailed information. Our services will greatly contribute to the success of your programs.

Reference

1. Nissley, D. A.; et al. Accurate prediction of cellular co-translational folding indicates proteins can switch from post- to co-translational folding. Nature Communications. 2016, 7. 10341.