QPatch Compact complements Qube to drive innovative therapies at Maxion
We had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Peer Depping, Senior Scientist at Maxion Therapeutics. He is developing KnotBody® molecules - fusions of knottin toxins and antibodies, designed to create new treatments for pain and autoimmune diseases. In this interview, Dr. Depping explains how they use the QPatch Compact to complement their Qube drug discovery research and accelerate development.
Q: Could you briefly introduce Maxion Therapeutics and your role?
At Maxion Therapeutics, we are taking up the challenge of developing selective therapeutics against ion channels and GPCRs using our proprietary KnotBody® technology. In my role as senior scientist in our discovery biology team, I am assessing the potency, selectivity, and safety of our molecules. At the same time, I am expanding our molecule and target biology knowledge, and I am enhancing our assessment capabilities.
Q: What was your first impression when you started using the QPatch Compact, and how has that impression evolved over time?
I was surprised how easy it was to learn how to use the QPatch Compact. However, I was sceptical about the benefit of the instrument due to its relatively low throughput. I am carrying out most of my experiments on the Qube 384. The reduction of 384 simultaneous experiments to eight seemed inadequate for our in-house needs.
Over time, my impression changed as I was impressed by the flexibility and versatility of the instrument. Being able to run different protocols on each cell and changing them on the fly enriched my ability to assess the biophysics of our target ion channels and troubleshoot my assays more efficiently. Interestingly, having to handle up to eight cells at the same time became a bit stressful in some instances as well.
"I am impressed by the flexibility and versatility of the QPatch Compact. The ability to run different protocols on each cell and adjust them on the fly has enhanced my ability to study the biophysics of our target ion channels and troubleshoot assays more efficiently."
Q: How does the QPatch Compact fit into your current workflow, including how it complements or enhances your overall automated patch clamp activities alongside your other systems?
The QPatch Compact has been immensely useful for investigating an unexpected ion channel modulation during the assessment of a new batch of molecules on the Qube 384. While the Qube 384 was busy with another screening campaign, the QPatch Compact became a key player for this investigation. Through the QPatch Compact, I was able to quickly identify the cause of the seen effect, a specific buffer component, and eliminate it in follow-up assessments on the Qube 384. This enabled me to determine accurate potencies for the tested molecules.
Q: What specific features or capabilities of the QPatch Compact have been most valuable to your research?
One of the most valuable features was the capability of changing protocols during an experiment and for each cell separately depending on the needs of the experiment. This flexibility gave me the ability to assess multiple protocols using a smaller number of experiments. This is a major benefit for our workflows as the Qube 384 on its own sometimes feels a bit restrictive because the experimental protocol needs to be defined in advance and cannot be changed during a run.
"The ability to adjust protocols per cell during a run lets me explore multiple conditions in fewer experiments. This was a major benefit for our workflows."
Q: Have you encountered any surprising benefits or new applications from using the QPatch Compact that you hadn’t initially anticipated?
A surprising benefit was the possibility of injecting compounds at any point during a run regardless of the runs’ progress. This turned out to be immensely useful for a mechanism of action study I was carrying out at that time. If I had done the same experiment on our other automated patch clamp system, I probably would not have been able to carry out this study as easily.
Q: Looking ahead, how do you see the QPatch Compact fitting into your future plans for ion channel research or drug discovery work?
I see the QPatch Compact as a useful tool for the exploration of protocols for new target ion channels and investigating the mechanism of action of reference or pilot molecules, for example, at the beginning of a drug discovery program. During a campaign, I would see it as a great platform for troubleshooting and quality control of molecules or cell line batches.
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