May 16th 2014, ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS – Since their introduction in the human population in 1968, influenza A viruses of the H3 subtype have evolved continuously to escape recognition and neutralization by antibodies, a component of our immune system. These changes have also reduced the ability of viruses to bind red blood cells, termed hemagglutination, a trait that is widely utilized in laboratories to measure levels of infectious influenza virus in clinical specimens.The new method requires no additional patient material and forms a prime asset for studies on the effectiveness of novel antiviral treatments against moving targets such as influenza A viruses.
Link to the publication in Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Background information Viroclinics
Viroclinics was founded in 2001 as a spin-off from the Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Viroscience in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It has since grown into a company exceeding 60 FTE of dedicated scientists and technical experts, and operates within a network of key opinion leaders as consultants. As of September 2012 the company migrated to a location with 3000 m2 office space and new laboratory facilities, including BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories. Additionally, a samples processing facility has been opened in Boston USA, at the start of 2013. The ongoing, intimate interaction between scientists at the Erasmus MC and company staff yields a strong, flourishing platform to act and implement assays at the forefront of Viroscience.
Viroclinics operates at a global level, being the preferred virology testing laboratory for several of the top-10 Biopharmaceutical companies. Organizationally the company has matured to a stage that a QA department, a clinical service department, a pre-clinical service department, an assay development department and a clinical trial operation department all work in an ISO 15189 accredited quality management system, expanded with elements of GLP and GCP.