Infectious Disease Diagnosis

Infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites are one of the major public health risks in the world. Infection and control of infectious diseases are based on prevention, treatment and diagnosis. The diagnostic methods of infectious diseases include etiological and serological tests. In serological detection, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is simple, fast, safe and inexpensive, which can better adapt to the rapid detection of large-scale samples on site. Although the conventional diagnosis of infectious diseases has some limitations, as an innovative tool, dendrimer materials seem to have a bright future in the clinical management of infectious diseases and many other health problems. Dendrimers are highly branched, nanoscale, monodisperse macromolecules that have been studied for their potential applications in various fields, including drug delivery, diagnostics, and materials science. In recent years, dendrimers have also been investigated for their use in ELISA.

Diagnostic Methods of Infectious Diseases

At present, the diagnostic methods used for diseases are mainly based on laboratory and non-laboratory diagnostic methods.

Dendrimers for Infectious Disease Diagnosis - ELISA

ELISA is a commonly used immunoassay technique that is used to detect the presence and amount of a specific target analyte in a sample. The basic principle of ELISA involves immobilizing a capture antibody on a solid support (such as a microplate), incubating the sample containing the analyte, washing away unbound components, and then detecting the bound analyte using a detection antibody that is linked to an enzyme.

Dendrimers have been investigated as potential alternatives to traditional antibodies in ELISA. In particular, dendrimers can be used as capture agents to replace the traditional immobilized antibody. Dendrimers have several advantages over antibodies, such as their high binding affinity, high stability, and the ability to be easily synthesized and modified. Additionally, dendrimers can be conjugated with various functional groups, such as fluorescent dyes, which can allow for the direct detection of the analyte. Moreover, dendrimers can also be used as detection agents in ELISA. In this case, the dendrimers are conjugated with the detection antibody and can be used to replace the traditional enzyme-linked antibody.

Mechanism to detect malaria antigens using the coumarin-derived dendrimer-based fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay (FLISA). (Ortega MÁ, et al., 2020)

Overall, the use of dendrimers in ELISA offers several potential benefits, including increased sensitivity and specificity, reduced assay time, and increased reproducibility. However, further research is needed to optimize the use of dendrimers in ELISA and to fully understand their potential in this application.

How We Can Help

At CD BioSciences, we have an advanced technology platform and experienced scientists dedicated to providing innovative dendrimer products and high-quality, hassle-free, cost-effective customization services to our global customers. We are confident that we can meet each of your specific needs and help you move your project forward in a timely manner. If you are interested in our services or have any other questions, please feel free to contact us and we look forward to working with you on your attractive projects.

Reference

1. Ortega MÁ.; et al. Dendrimers and Dendritic Materials: From Laboratory to Medical Practice in Infectious Diseases. Pharmaceutics. 2020, 12: 874.