Ultrasensitive Antibody Detection by Agglutination-PCR (ADAP)
A new technique is thousands of times more sensitive than current techniques in lab experiments, and it is now being put to test in real-world clinical trials. Tagging antibodies or related biomarkers involves designing a molecule that the biomarker will bind to, and which is adorned with an identifying “flag.” Through immunoassays, researchers can isolate that flag, and the biomarker bound to it, to provide a proxy measurement of the disease.
The new technique, developed in the lab of Prof. Carolyn Bertozzi, augments this standard procedure with powerful DNA screening technology. In this case, the chemists have replaced the standard flag with a short strand of DNA, which can then be teased out of the sample using DNA isolation technologies that are far more sensitive than those possible for traditional antibody detections.
The researchers tested their technique, with its signature DNA flag, against four commercially available, FDA-approved tests for a biomarker for thyroid cancer. It outperformed the sensitivity of all of them, by at least 800 times, and as much as 10,000 times. By detecting the biomarkers of disease at lower concentrations, physicians could theoretically catch diseases far earlier in their progression.
Based on the success of the challenging thyroid screening, the group has won a few grants to advance the technique into clinical trials. One trial underway in collaboration with the nearby Alameda County Public Health Laboratory will help evaluate the technique as a screening tool for HIV. Early detection and treatment of the virus can help ensure that its effects on the patient are minimized and reduce the chance that it is transmitted to others.
Cheng-ting “Jason” Tsai said. “In contrast to many new diagnostic techniques, this test is performed on pre-existing machines that most clinical labs are already familiar with.” The researchers are also pursuing tests for Type 1 diabetes, for which early detection could help patients manage the disease with fewer side effects. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acscentsci.5b00340
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2016/march/test-disease-detection-031016.html
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