Imgenex Corp. develops and commercializes novel reagents for the scientific study of human biology and disease and for the production of new diagnostic assays and potential therapies of such diseases. These novel reagents include antibodies, gene and protein expression systems, and arrays of various cells and tissues for use in studies of functional genomics. Areas of biological interest at IMGENEX include cancer, apoptosis (programmed cell death), molecular signaling pathways, cellular aging, and metabolic and infectious diseases.

The Toll-like receptor (TLR) family in mammals comprises a family of transmembrane proteins characterized by multiple copies of leucine rich repeats in the extracellular domain and IL-1 receptor motif in the cytoplasmic domain. Like its counterparts in Drosophila, TLRs signal through adaptor molecules. MD-1 and MD-2 complex with RP105 and TLR4, respectively, to enhance LPS recognition and signaling. IL-1 receptor-associated kinases (IRAKs) are important mediators in the signal transduction of Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) family members. The cytoplasmic domains of TIR proteins interact with the adapter protein, MyD88. MyD88 then recruits IRAKs, which in turn interact with other adapter molecules to activate NF-kB and MAPK pathways.