Detecting antibodies with glowing proteins, thread and a smartphone


Date:
June 17, 2020
Source:
American Chemical Society
Summary:
To defend the body, the immune system makes proteins known as
antibodies that latch onto the perceived threat, be it HIV, the new
coronavirus or, as is the case in autoimmune disease, part of the
body itself. In a new proof-of-concept study, researchers describe
a new system for detecting antibodies within a pinprick of blood
within minutes, using an unlikely combination of cotton thread,
glowing proteins and a smartphone camera.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
To defend the body, the immune system makes proteins known as antibodies
that latch onto the perceived threat, be it HIV, the new coronavirus or,
as is the case in autoimmune disease, part of the body itself. In a new proof-of-concept study in ACS Sensors, researchers describe a new system
for detecting antibodies within a pinprick of blood within minutes,
using an unlikely combination of cotton thread, glowing proteins and a smartphone camera.


========================================================================== While some tests simply detect the presence of an antibody, sometimes
doctors want to know how much is circulating in the blood. Such
quantitative tests are used to diagnose a number of conditions, including infections and autoimmune diseases. Although a quantitative antibody test
is not yet approved for use in the U.S., such a test could potentially
aid in assessing immunity to SARS-CoV- 2. However, quantitative testing currently requires expensive, sophisticated instruments in labs, and
efforts to make it more accessible have had only limited success. So,
Maarten Merkx, Daniel Citterio and colleagues tested an approach that
could provide a small, inexpensive alternative.

The researchers' microfluidic thread-based analytical device (?TAD)
relies on light-emitting sensor proteins held on a thread. In the
presence of the right antibodies, the color of the light emitted by
the sensors changes. The shift, from green to blue, correlates with
the concentration of antibodies in a sample. Using a finger-prick-sized
drop of pigs' blood spiked with antibodies against HIV, the team showed
that their system could successfully detect antibody levels within five minutes. In addition, the device can test for the amounts of several
different antibodies in a single blood sample and doesn't require
extensive handling and incubation steps. They found that a smartphone
camera, outfitted with an adaptor, could pick up on the shifts in the
light's color, while the device itself could convert color data into
test results and transmit that information. With further development,
this combination of technologies could provide user-friendly, one-step
analysis of antibody concentration, according to the researchers.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Chemical_Society. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Kosuke Tomimuro, Keisuke Tenda, Yan Ni, Yuki Hiruta, Maarten Merkx,
Daniel Citterio. Thread-Based Bioluminescent Sensor for Detecting
Multiple Antibodies in a Single Drop of Whole Blood. ACS Sensors,
2020; DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.0c00564 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200617121451.htm

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