Paper-Based Device Accurately Detects Immune Defects in 10 Minutes

Patients with hidden immune defects are especially vulnerable to severe and persistent infections, often due to autoantibodies that block interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), a key molecule in immune defense. These autoantibodies can go undetected for extended periods, making diagnosis difficult and delaying critical treatment. Traditional testing methods can be slow, expensive, and insensitive to trace levels of harmful antibodies, especially in the early stages of illness. Now, researchers have developed a rapid, highly sensitive paper-based test that enables one-step detection of these autoantibodies in under 10 minutes.

The paper-based diagnostic device called the 3D-osPAD (3D origami signal-amplified paper-based analytical device) has been developed by scientists at National Taiwan University (Taipei, Taiwan) and uses a folded 3D paper structure combined with gold nanoparticle signal amplification to enhance detection. All necessary reagents are preloaded within layered compartments, which allows the assay to initiate automatically once a small drop of diluted blood serum is added. The design enables a one-step, streamlined process that does not require expensive laboratory equipment or specialized training, making it accessible for both hospital and remote clinical settings. This technological innovation significantly improves test sensitivity achieving a tenfold increase over conventional detection methods while delivering results in just 10 minutes.

Image: The 3D paper-based analytical device has shown high clinical accuracy for adult-onset immunodeficiency (Photo courtesy of National Taiwan University)

In the study published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics, the 3D-osPAD was clinically validated and demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity in accurately identifying patients with adult-onset immunodeficiency caused by anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies. In addition to its clinical accuracy, the portable and user-friendly design of the test supports applications in rapid diagnosis, treatment planning, and recovery monitoring. The researchers plan to further develop similar user-friendly and highly sensitive analytical tools for on-site diagnostics, especially in resource-limited environments.

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National Taiwan University