Technology

3Helix has developed a series of proprietary collagen hybridizing peptides that directly target the damaged collagen molecule. Collagen is the major component of nearly every human tissue, with an essential role in supporting cell growth and tissue formation. Damage to collagen is a strong indication of connective tissue injury, as well as a variety of diseases involving inflammation and abnormal tissue remodeling, such as cancer, myocardial infarction, arthritis, osteoporosis, and fibrosis. However, targeting damaged collagen is difficult with conventional technologies. In addition to providing CHP as a research tool for laboratory use in academia and industry, 3Helix is advancing its compounds to enable new pathways to achieve diagnostic and therapeutic objectives.

3Helix is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was founded by Drs. Yang Li and Michael Yu based on the technology that they invented at the Johns Hopkins University.

Founder Prof. Michael Yu describes examples of the vast potential medical applications of CHP, which was previously termed collagen mimetic peptide. (No access to Youtube? Watch the video here.)

Examples of CHP Applications

Every decellularization method may alter the composition and the micro-architecture of ECM, causing variations of the biological activity and mechanical integrity of the decellularized material. CHP specifically detects denatured collagen in the decellularized tissue/organ, enabling assessment of the effect of decellularization upon ECM at the molecular level.

The skeletal system has a large quantity of collagen, making visualization of skeletal development, disease progression, and collagen turnover with CHPs a perfect use case.

Collagen is the major building block in all load bearing tissues including tendon, ligament, bone, and cartilage. Mechanical injury to these tissues causes changes in collagen structure which can initiate pathological processes without detectable morphological changes at the macroscale. Using CHPs you can now visualize the mechanical damage to the triple helix

Collagen has a unique triple helical structure that is unfolded in tissues during diseases, development, mechanical injury, and decellularization. 3Helix commercializes labeled collagen hybridizing peptide (CHP) that specifically binds to such unfolded collagen chains.

Collagen hybridizing peptides allow for visualization of fibrotic tissue or any tissues with an increase of collagen turnover.

Collagen hybridizing peptides can be used for detecting damaged collagen in aged tissues caused from enzymatic degradation.

Application Notes

Quantifying Collagen Content in Histopathology by Fluorescent CHP Hybridization

Note: CHPs are a research use only (RUO) reagent, and not intended to be used as a diagnostic.    Introduction                                                                   Download PDF File...

Determining Total Collagen Content: Stain Comparison

B-CHP vs. Masson’s Trichrome vs. Picrosirius Red vs. Herovici’s Stain Note: CHPs are a research use only (RUO) reagent, and not intended to be used as a diagnostic.    Introduction                                                   ...

Podcast

Listen in while our CTO explains some of the new research being done with CHPs at the National Society for Histotechnology Convention.