Label-free Multiplexed Immunoassay Platform for Diagnosing Liver Disease

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the present work is to demonstrate a label-free multiplexed immunoassay platform liver disease diagnosis. The method is to integrate multiple tests for serum antigens and antibodies onto a single disposable chip that could be used with the instrument for about the cost of one or a few current immunoassays that identify the presence of just one marker. As biomarkers are increasingly identified and relied upon for diagnosis, particularly in the case of liver disease, an increasing number of tests are ordered at once at an increasing cost. By miniaturizing and multiplexing many tests into one chip, we could significantly reduce the cost and provide much more information to the physician, information that could not only indicate disease when present, but also cause, extent, progression, and information regarding strain, all which may be used to guide a treatment plan. In this proposal, we aim to complete a proof-of- principle demonstration combining four biomarkers (two antigens and two antibodies) on a single chip and to validate the chip using bovine serum samples spiked with varying concentrations of the target biomarkers. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The goal of the present work aims to improve the diagnosis of liver disease by combining many blood tests for antigens and antibodies into a single test, providing much more information to the physician than is currently cost effective. The added information can not only indicate disease when present, but also cause, extent, progression, and information regarding strain, all which may be used by the physician in developing the best treatment plan should disease be present.