POC Test Based on Quantum Dots Detects Antibody Responses
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 31 Oct 2019 |
|
Image: The Holomics Reader HRDR-300 mobile device was used to measure fluorescent intensity of the quantum dots complex after lateral migration of patient serum (Photo courtesy of Medical College of Georgia).
Point-of-care (POC) assays, which can be performed at or near the site of care with a rapid turnaround time, are pivotal to transforming global disease control efforts, particularly in resource-constrained settings where access to laboratory facilities is limited.
Cysticercosis is an infection caused by the larval form of the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. When larval cysts form in the human brain known as neurocysticercosis (NCC), they can result in seizures and other neurologic disorders. NCC affects those living in endemic and non-endemic countries, with an estimated more than 18,000 hospitalizations in the USA between 2003 and 2012.
Medical scientists at the Medical College of Georgia (Athens, GA, USA) and their international colleagues examined 112 positive human sera from patients with neurocysticercosis (NCC) including samples from 18 patients with single viable cyst, 71 patients with two or more viable cysts, and 23 patients with subarachnoid (racemose) cysts. Definitive diagnosis of the subject was established by computed-tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging.
To test the specificity of the assay, the team evaluated a panel of serum samples obtained from 24 patients with other infections and 128 serum samples from persons in the USA and Egypt who had not traveled outside their country, and therefore were presumed negative for cysticercosis. The scientists developed a novel and portable fluorescent sensor that integrates a lateral flow assay with a quantum dot (Qdots) label and a mobile phone reader for detection of specific antibodies in human serum. They evaluated the utility of this assay to test for antibodies to the Taenia solium rT24H antigen.
The team read the lateral flow assay after 30 minutes, using the Holomics Reader HRDR-30. The investigators reported that the assay specificity in the negative panel was 99% (95%–100%) while assay sensitivity was 89% (79%–95%) in NCC patients with two or more viable cysts. The assay has performance characteristics similar to those of traditional platforms for the detection of NCC and shows promise as a mobile phone reader-based point-of-care test for antibody detection. The study was published on October 7, 2019, in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Related Links:
Medical College of Georgia
Cysticercosis is an infection caused by the larval form of the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. When larval cysts form in the human brain known as neurocysticercosis (NCC), they can result in seizures and other neurologic disorders. NCC affects those living in endemic and non-endemic countries, with an estimated more than 18,000 hospitalizations in the USA between 2003 and 2012.
Medical scientists at the Medical College of Georgia (Athens, GA, USA) and their international colleagues examined 112 positive human sera from patients with neurocysticercosis (NCC) including samples from 18 patients with single viable cyst, 71 patients with two or more viable cysts, and 23 patients with subarachnoid (racemose) cysts. Definitive diagnosis of the subject was established by computed-tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging.
To test the specificity of the assay, the team evaluated a panel of serum samples obtained from 24 patients with other infections and 128 serum samples from persons in the USA and Egypt who had not traveled outside their country, and therefore were presumed negative for cysticercosis. The scientists developed a novel and portable fluorescent sensor that integrates a lateral flow assay with a quantum dot (Qdots) label and a mobile phone reader for detection of specific antibodies in human serum. They evaluated the utility of this assay to test for antibodies to the Taenia solium rT24H antigen.
The team read the lateral flow assay after 30 minutes, using the Holomics Reader HRDR-30. The investigators reported that the assay specificity in the negative panel was 99% (95%–100%) while assay sensitivity was 89% (79%–95%) in NCC patients with two or more viable cysts. The assay has performance characteristics similar to those of traditional platforms for the detection of NCC and shows promise as a mobile phone reader-based point-of-care test for antibody detection. The study was published on October 7, 2019, in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Related Links:
Medical College of Georgia
Gold Member
Pharmacogenetics Panel
VeriDose Core Panel v2.0
New
Typhoid Rapid Test
OnSite Typhoid IgG/IgM Combo Rapid Test
New
Ultra-Low Temperature Freezer
iUF118-GX
Latest Technology News
- Advanced Predictive Algorithms Identify Patients Having Undiagnosed Cancer
- Light Signature Algorithm to Enable Faster and More Precise Medical Diagnoses
- Disposable Microchip Technology Could Selectively Detect HIV in Whole Blood Samples
- Pain-On-A-Chip Microfluidic Device Determines Types of Chronic Pain from Blood Samples
- Innovative, Label-Free Ratiometric Fluorosensor Enables More Sensitive Viral RNA Detection
- Smartphones Could Diagnose Diseases Using Infrared Scans
- Novel Sensor Technology to Enable Early Diagnoses of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders
- 3D Printing Breakthrough Enables Large Scale Development of Tiny Microfluidic Devices
- POC Paper-Based Sensor Platform to Transform Cardiac Diagnostics
- Study Explores Impact of POC Testing on Future of Diagnostics
- Low-Cost, Fast Response Sensor Enables Early and Accurate Detection of Lung Cancer
- Nanotechnology For Cervical Cancer Diagnosis Could Replace Invasive Pap Smears
- Lab-On-Chip Platform to Expedite Cancer Diagnoses
- Biosensing Platform Simultaneously Detects Vitamin C and SARS-CoV-2
- New Lens Method Analyzes Tears for Early Disease Detection
- FET-Based Sensors Pave Way for Portable Diagnostic Devices Capable of Detecting Multiple Diseases
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
AI-Powered Blood Test Accurately Detects Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer ranks as the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, largely due to late-stage diagnoses. Although over 90% of women exhibit symptoms in Stage I, only 20% are diagnosed in... Read more
Automated Decentralized cfDNA NGS Assay Identifies Alterations in Advanced Solid Tumors
Current circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) assays are typically centralized, requiring specialized handling and transportation of samples. Introducing a flexible, decentralized sequencing system at the... Read more
Mass Spectrometry Detects Bacteria Without Time-Consuming Isolation and Multiplication
Speed and accuracy are essential when diagnosing diseases. Traditionally, diagnosing bacterial infections involves the labor-intensive process of isolating pathogens and cultivating bacterial cultures,... Read more
First Comprehensive Syphilis Test to Definitively Diagnose Active Infection In 10 Minutes
In the United States, syphilis cases have surged by nearly 80% from 2018 to 2023, with 209,253 cases recorded in the most recent year of data. Syphilis, which can be transmitted sexually or from mother... Read moreMolecular Diagnostics
view channel
Microbial Cell-Free DNA Test Accurately Identifies Pathogens Causing Pneumonia and Other Lung Infections
Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a commonly used procedure for diagnosing lung infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. However, standard tests often fail to pinpoint the exact pathogen, leading... Read more
Non-Biopsy Approach to Transform Adult Celiac Disease Diagnoses
In the United States, the diagnosis of celiac disease in adults typically relies on a combination of serologic testing and a confirmatory small bowel biopsy during upper endoscopy. In contrast, European... Read more
Hematology
view channel
First Point-of-Care Heparin Monitoring Test Provides Results in Under 15 Minutes
Heparin dosing requires careful management to avoid both bleeding and clotting complications. In high-risk situations like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), mortality rates can reach about 50%,... Read more
New Scoring System Predicts Risk of Developing Cancer from Common Blood Disorder
Clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) is a blood disorder commonly found in older adults, characterized by mutations in blood cells and a low blood count, but without any obvious cause or... Read more
Microbiology
view channel
New Blood Test Detects Up to Five Infectious Diseases at POC
Researchers have developed a prototype flow-through assay capable of detecting up to five different infections, with results that can be quickly analyzed and transmitted via a specialized smartphone app.... Read more
Molecular Stool Test Shows Potential for Diagnosing TB in Adults with HIV
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, led to 1.25 million deaths in 2023, with 13% of those occurring in people living with HIV. The current primary diagnostic method for... Read more
Pathology
view channel
Groundbreaking Chest Pain Triage Algorithm to Transform Cardiac Care
Cardiovascular disease is responsible for a third of all deaths worldwide, and chest pain is the second most common reason for emergency department (ED) visits. With EDs often being some of the busiest... Read more
AI-Based Liquid Biopsy Approach to Revolutionize Brain Cancer Detection
Detecting brain cancers remains extremely challenging, with many patients only receiving a diagnosis at later stages after symptoms like headaches, seizures, or cognitive issues appear. Late-stage diagnoses... Read more
Technology
view channel
Advanced Predictive Algorithms Identify Patients Having Undiagnosed Cancer
Two newly developed advanced predictive algorithms leverage a person’s health conditions and basic blood test results to accurately predict the likelihood of having an undiagnosed cancer, including ch... Read more
Light Signature Algorithm to Enable Faster and More Precise Medical Diagnoses
Every material or molecule interacts with light in a unique way, creating a distinct pattern, much like a fingerprint. Optical spectroscopy, which involves shining a laser on a material and observing how... Read more
Disposable Microchip Technology Could Selectively Detect HIV in Whole Blood Samples
As of the end of 2023, approximately 40 million people globally were living with HIV, and around 630,000 individuals died from AIDS-related illnesses that same year. Despite a substantial decline in deaths... Read more
Pain-On-A-Chip Microfluidic Device Determines Types of Chronic Pain from Blood Samples
Chronic pain is a widespread condition that remains difficult to manage, and existing clinical methods for its treatment rely largely on self-reporting, which can be subjective and especially problematic... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions
Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Grifols and Tecan’s IBL Collaborate on Advanced Biomarker Panels
Grifols (Barcelona, Spain), one of the world’s leading producers of plasma-derived medicines and innovative diagnostic solutions, is expanding its offer in clinical diagnostics through a strategic partnership... Read more
