A blog article by Ashlie Reker, Ph.D.
Autoimmune diseases result from the inability of one’s immune system to differentiate between cells of the body or “self cells” and foreign cells or “non-self cells”. This can ultimately lead to the body launching an immune response against self-cells that are mistaken as foreign – that is, the body attacks itself.
Currently, 5-8% of the global population is afflicted with one of the 80 known auto-immune disorders, to include Lupus, Psoriasis, and Type 1 Diabetes, and historical evidence suggests these numbers will continue to rise (Fugger, L. et al., 2020; Dinse, G. E. et al., 2020). Genetics, intracellular signaling, lifestyle, environment, and their interactions have been identified as underlying mechanisms for the development of auto-immune disorders.
Taken together, it comes as no surprise that researching such a complex and heterogenous group of diseases poses a significant challenge to the medical community. Developing appropriate animal models to parse out realistic targets for novel treatment development requires sophisticated and comprehensive in vivo research management tools. Climb was made by in vivo scientists for scientists to translate your research efforts into marketable therapies faster.
Benefits of Climb
Animal Colony and Vivarium Management
The diversity of auto-immune disorders and their presentations require multiple different animal models to adequately achieve face, construct, and predictive validity. Climb allows you to easily manage your animal colony, including tracking genotypes, pedigree, and clinical records, no matter if you’re purchasing or breeding.
Climb has been really great in that I can go in and filter mice by genotype. I can look at specific genotypes, genders, age, anything I want and that has helped a lot.”
Study Design and Execution
Climb is uniquely designed to promote efficient, fast, and collaborative study design. As a cloud-native software, scientists, study monitors, and directors can design and monitor research progression from anywhere, including accessing data in real-time.
- Reusable templates reduce study creation time
- Robust task management for improved visibility into study flow and timing
- Digitalized data collection reduces human error and the need for data cleanup
Sample Management
Audit and Chain of Custody
When completing tasks, the name of the individual who completed the task as well as the date and time of completion are recorded in Climb. Climb is fully searchable and auditable, providing you with complete visibility into the proceedings of your vivarium and research facility.
- Easily view the history of specific animals and samples
- Studies and data can be locked by administrators to prevent changes
Climb from RockStep Solutions is a secure, comprehensive 360° solution to increase your lab’s research efficiency and accuracy, helping you to get more science done!
Want to learn more about Climb 2.0? Take the video tour or request a demo!
