INDIGO Biosciences Expands Preclinical Portfolio for Anemia and Oncology Research

State College, PA (20 April 2021) – INDIGO Biosciences, the recognized industry leader in nuclear receptor research, has expanded their robust preclinical testing portfolio to include a new Erythropoietin Receptor (EPOR) assay primarily used in the treatment of anemia and implicated in the development of certain cancers. This cell-based in vitro assay provides discovery researchers with the ability to quickly make critical decisions about potential drug candidates before moving into trials.

“The addition of EPOR to INDIGO’s portfolio expands our understanding of red blood cell development as it relates to both beneficial and harmful downstream effects in other areas of disease state development” says Dr. Jack Vanden Heuvel, Chief Scientific Officer of INDIGO. “We remain committed to developing assays that ensure researchers are able to get critical interaction data required as early as possible in the development process, and the EPO Receptor offers insight into potential interactions oncology and anemia researchers need in the earliest stages.”

Erythropoietin, a protein naturally produced in the kidneys, stimulates and sustains red blood cell development. The clinical use of EPO has led to the successful treatment of anemia associated with conditions ranging from chronic kidney disease, chemotherapy treatments for cancer, and surgery-associated blood loss. Other rare, seemingly beneficial changes in EPOR have been seen in endurance athletes as well. In these cases, the overproduction of red blood cells allows for improved oxygen delivery, allowing endurance athletes to experience sustained high performance levels with no adverse side effects.

Dysfunction of EPOR and the resulting overproduction of red blood cells, however, can result in cancer, particularly breast and renal cancers, as well as hypertension, increased risk for stroke, and venous thromboembolism. In addition, defects have been shown to produce erythroleukemia and familial erythrocytosis, a condition characterized by an increased number of red blood cells leading to an increased risk of abnormal blood clots.

In vitro assays, such as those offered by INDIGO, provide important early indications of a compound or antibody’s potential for progressing to further development and clinical testing. INDIGO’s assays allow researchers to definitively determine what receptors are affected to ensure the selectivity of target compounds, a key piece of information necessary to proceed with development. The new EPOR reporter assay is available both as a screening service or as an all-inclusive kit.