INDIGO Blog

View our most recent posts to learn more about various types of receptors, cell-based assays, and their use in drug discovery and environmental testing applications. 

 

Cell-Based Potency Assays for Biosimilars: Key Considerations for CMC and Quality Control

Biosimilar development requires more than demonstrating structural similarity to a reference biologic. Manufacturers must also establish that their products exhibit comparable biological activity and maintain consistent performance throughout manufacturing and storage. This makes cell-based assays an important component of Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control (CMC) and Quality Control (QC) strategies.Biosimilars are complex biological products whose functional…

The Serotonin 2A Receptor (5-HT2A): Function, Signaling, and Drug Discovery

The Serotonin 2A Receptor (5-HT2A) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that responds to serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). It is one of several serotonin receptor subtypes and plays a role in central nervous system signaling, particularly in processes associated with perception, cognition, mood, and behavior.5-HT2A is expressed in the cerebral cortex, especially on cortical pyramidal…

Mechanistic Safety Screening for Nutraceutical Ingredient Development

The nutraceutical and dietary supplement market continues to expand as consumers seek products supporting areas such as metabolic health, healthy aging, immune function, energy, and cognitive performance. At the same time, ingredient innovation is moving beyond traditional vitamins and minerals toward botanical extracts, purified natural products, fermentation-derived ingredients, and other biologically active compounds.That innovation creates…

What Is IL-6R? Its Role in Inflammation, Disease, and Drug Discovery

The Interleukin-6 Receptor (IL-6R) is a cytokine receptor that plays a role in inflammation, immune regulation, and the body’s response to infection and tissue injury. IL-6R is part of the receptor system that mediates the biological effects of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pleiotropic cytokine involved in both normal physiological processes and numerous inflammatory disease states.The IL-6…

Reporter Assays for Biologics: Moving from Binding to Functional Characterization

Biologics have transformed drug discovery by enabling researchers to target disease biology with a level of specificity that is often difficult to achieve with traditional small molecules. Monoclonal antibodies, therapeutic proteins, peptides, and other biologic modalities can selectively engage receptors, ligands, and cell-signaling mechanisms involved in disease. However, their complexity can also make functional characterization…