Apoaequorin

Apoaequorin comes from a species of jellyfish called Aequorea victoria – a bioluminescent organism with one of the simplest nervous systems. While apoaequorin has been commonly used in laboratory research for over forty-five years for its glowing properties – ideal for tracing cellular activities, the protein had never been used in any therapeutic manner before Quincy Bioscience’s research began.

Apoaequorin is from a family of molecules that are called calcium-binding proteins and a very similar to human endogenous calcium-binding proteins which are known to deplete in the aging process. The loss of these proteins has been linked to the dysregulation of intracellular calcium and subsequent calcium toxicity leading to cell death. Quincy Bioscience is the first to utilize apoaequorin as a tool in the restoration of calcium homeostasis in the human body.

In 2010, the company was issued its first patent for the use of the calcium-binding jellyfish protein for health applications.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008 was awarded to researchers Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie, and Roger Y. Tsien who discovered the luminescent jellyfish protein and advanced its usefulness in science with the Nobel committee calling the discovering of the glowing protein, “has become one of the most important tools used in contemporary bioscience.” Their discovery and advancement made the work at Quincy Bioscience possible.

Quality Production

Production – Middleton, WI

Apoaequorin is no longer extracted from the jellyfish, rather rapidly dividing host cells are “taught” to grow the unique protein. The end result is the exact composition of apoaequorin without any of the heavy metal pollution that jellyfish may be exposed to in the ocean. Additionally, all phases of production are conducted in the state of Wisconsin.

Quincy Bioscience’s Quality Assurance Department is fully compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards as defined in federal code by 21 CFR 111. All batches are tested for purity, strength, and safety.

Areas of Interest

Quincy Bioscience is committed to understanding and treating the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases, bringing novel therapeutics to the marketplace. The company anticipates the development of this protein-based technology will have broad application for the spectrum of neurological based conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Quincy Bioscience believes the application of apoaequorin may have benefit in other diseases whose etiologies lie in the aggravation and dysregulation of cellular calcium homeostasis. By binding the uncontrolled release of calcium ions during and sometimes after acute or chronic insults to the cell, through the application of apoaequorin, the cytotoxic affects of excess calcium are averted and normal cellular responses to the etiological agents of disease are preserved.

This hypothesis bears particular consideration in the healthcare management of the aging population since chronic increases of the concentration of intracellular calcium ions are directly correlated to the aging process of the brain, skin, heart, and other major organ and organ systems of the body. It is the opinion of Quincy Bioscience scientists that by assisting the body in the management of the intracellular calcium ion, natural aging can be slowed down effectively enhancing the productivity of human life.