Pronexus Analytical AB (PRONEXUS)
Partner description and expertise
Pronexus Analytical AB was founded as a spin-off company in 2003 by Profs. Kjell Fuxe, Urban Ungerstedt and Jan Kehr affiliated at the Department of Neuroscience and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm. Pronexus is privately owned fully proprietary and independent preclinical contract research organization (CRO) offering advanced services and collaborative projects focused on pharmacological and neurochemical (PK/PD) studies in experimental (rodent) models of psychiatric, neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases. Pronexus possesses world leading expertise and know-how in minimally invasive techniques for neurochemical monitoring in vivo, including microdialysis and voltammetric biosensors, and combination of eurochemical screening with behavioural recordings. The bioanalytical expertise includes UHPLC-MS/MS and standard HPLC techniques, ELISA and multiplexing immunoassays. These analytical techniques are utilized for determination of surrogate markers of disease states, including neurotransmitters, metabolites, inflammatory molecules and other proteins in icrodialysates, tissue extracts and body fluids. Pronexus research laboratories with full regulatory approvals include the central bioanalytical laboratory and the animal research facility.
Role in the BATCure project
Prof. Jan Kehr is Proxenus’ CEO and CSO. During the last 20 years, Prof. Kehr carried-out several larger academic research projects focused on neuropharmacology of major neurotransmitter systems and related neurochemical techniques allowing in vivo monitoring of neurotransmitters and other biomarkers in animal models of CNS disorders. Prof. Kehr’s major role in the project will include the study design and planning, supervision, data analysis, statistics and reporting. A minor role will be associated with laboratory work, particularly in analytical tasks involving ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for analysis of neurotransmitters and drugs.
Dr. Fu-Hua Wang is a Research scientist and is trained as a general surgeon. He has been affiliated at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, from 1996 to 2003, first as a visiting scientist and from 1999 as a Ph.D. student in the Dept. of Neuroscience and Dept. of physiology and Pharmacology where he defended his Ph.D. thesis in 2010. His research interests and expertise involved monitoring neurotransmitter release by micro dialysis following intracerebral and intraventricular infusions of neuropeptides and pharmaceuticals in freely moving rats and mice. In addition, a major part of his thesis was focused on applications of functionalized nanoparticles as contrast enhancers in experimental MRI on rats and mice. Dr Wang’s participation in the project will cover all animal experiments including stereotaxic surgery, microdialysis sampling from freely moving mice, motor behaviour tests, blood sampling, tissue dissections, homogenization and extraction procedures for sample preparation and analysis.
Mr. Roland Ocka is a Researcher engineer. He has more than 22 years of experience in mass spectrometry (LC-MS and GC-MS) both from clinical chemistry laboratory and from pharmaceutical industry. Mr Ocka’s role in the project will involve development and applications of the analytical technologies and procedures implemented in analysis of neurotransmitters, metabolites and test substances in microdialysis samples, as well as, plasma and tissue samples collected from transgenic mouse models of Batten disease. The major focus will be given on protocols for sample extraction and analysis by ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS).
