The invention relates to electrochemical assays, and more particularly electrochemical assays for detecting or quantifying a protein in a sample.
There are numerous clinical and laboratory settings that require protein detection or quantitation. Depending on the accuracy and speed required and the amount and purity of the protein available, different methods are appropriate for determining protein presence and concentration.
Lung transplantation (LTx) is a life-saving procedure for patients suffering from end-stage lung disease. At present, donor lungs are assessed for transplant suitability based on several physiological parameters including donor/organ medical history and pulmonary compliance measures. These physiological metrics do not reliably predict recipient outcomes after transplant. Thus, the inclusion of lung-specific biomarker tests, prior to transplantation, that could accurately predict LTx outcomes would be of great benefit to patients and transplant teams.
Ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is a novel technique that has been developed to improve the LTx procedure by affording more time for transplant teams to assess and treat a donor lung under normothermic conditions1. As such, EVLP can provide a means by which donor lungs can be treated therapeutically without the detrimental effects of the host immune system1. In addition, EVLP can allow for the discovery, validation, and monitoring of predictive biomolecules in EVLP perfusate. In studies using EVLP, circulating levels of the endothelin-1 (ET-1) peptide have been shown to be predictive of donor lung function2.
ET-1 is an important chemokine that plays a key role in vasoconstriction and fibroblast proliferation3-5. The effects of increased ET-1 expression have been implicated as a significant risk factor for both acute and chronic lung injury. Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is a severe form of acute rejection and can occur in approximately 30% of LTx cases. Recent work has demonstrated strong correlation between ET-1 levels and the development of PGD through the disruption of the alveolar-capillary barrier2. The profibrotic properties of ET-1 are also a significant contributor to the narrowing of the bronchioles which represents a major characteristic of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD)6,7 Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is the predominant form of CLAD and is the principal cause of late graft loss8. ET-1 concentrations have been shown to correlate with the development of BOS9. Therefore, ET-1 is an extremely powerful biomarker that can be used to predict short- and long-term survival in transplant patients and is a valuable target for molecular diagnostics. There are a number of similar biomarkers that have been shown to be important in measuring risk acute lung injury (see for example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0377904).
Current detection strategies for ET-1 are based primarily on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) protocol2, 9, 10. The typical workflow of an ET-1 ELISA can take upwards of 4 hours and requires significant user input. Yet, to be clinically relevant within the decision-making processes of LTx11, assays must provide sample-to-answer times that are much faster than a typical ELISA. As such, integration of ET-1 testing into the transplant setting remains problematic.
In an aspect, there is provided a method for the electrochemical quantification of a protein analyte in sample, comprising: providing one or more electrode(s), each comprising at least one peptide attached to its surface, the peptide being the protein or a fragment thereof; contacting the sample and electrode with an antibody in the presence of a redox reporter, wherein the antibody is capable of binding to each of the protein analyte and the peptide on the electrode; measuring an electrochemical signal generated by the redox reporter when a potential is applied; quantifying the protein analyte by comparing the electrochemical signal generated with a control, wherein the electrochemical signal is indirectly proportional to the amount of protein analyte in the sample.
In an aspect, there is provided a kit for the electrochemical detection of a protein analyte in sample, the kit comprising: an electrode comprising a peptide attached to its surface, the peptide being the protein or a fragment thereof; an antibody capable of binding to the protein analyte and the peptide on the electrode; a redox reporter; and instructions for use.
These and other features of the preferred embodiments of the invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it is understood that the invention may be practiced without these specific details.
In an aspect, there is provided a method for the electrochemical quantification of a protein analyte in sample, comprising: providing one or more electrode(s), each comprising at least one peptide attached to its surface, the peptide being the protein or a fragment thereof; contacting the sample and electrode with an antibody in the presence of a redox reporter, wherein the antibody is capable of binding to each of the protein analyte and the peptide on the electrode; measuring an electrochemical signal generated by the redox reporter when a potential is applied; quantifying the protein analyte by comparing the electrochemical signal generated with a control, wherein the electrochemical signal is indirectly proportional to the amount of protein analyte in the sample.
As used herein, “polypeptide” and “protein” are used interchangeably and mean proteins, protein fragments, modified proteins, amino acid sequences and synthetic amino acid sequences, including proteins containing non-naturally occurring amino acids and amino acid analogs, and peptidomimetic structures. The side chains may be in either the (R) or the (S) configuration. In some embodiments, the amino acids are in the (S) or L-configuration. The polypeptide can be glycosylated or not. There are a large number of possible proteinaceous target analytes that may be detected using the present embodiments herein, including proteins containing non-naturally occurring amino acids and amino acid analogs, and peptidomimetic structures.
Exemplary target protein analytes include Endothelin-1 (ET-1), big ET-1, GROα, Vascular cell adhesion protein 1 (VCAM-1), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, Stem Cell Growth Factor-beta (SCGF-β), Caspase-cleaved cytokeratin 18 fragment (M30), and High mobility group box 1 (HMGB-1). Protein analytes in EVLP test perfusate that are prognostic of transplant outcome are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0377904.
In some embodiments, the target protein analyte is a biomarker whose increased expression in EVLP test perfusate is associated with poor outcome after transplant. In specific embodiments, the target protein analyte is Endothelin-1, a potent vasoconstrictive peptide that plays an important role in lung transplantation. ET-1 expression levels are predictive of transplant outcomes and represent a valuable monitoring tool for surgeons. The methods described herein rapidly measure ET-1 peptide levels in lung perfusate.
Preferably, the peptide is a fragment of Endothelin-1 (SEQ ID NO. 2), such as the 21 amino acid peptide consisting of the following sequence: CSCSSLMDKE CVYFCHLDIIW (SEQ ID NO. 1). In some embodiments, the electrode is gold and the peptide is bound thereto through the thiol (—SH) moiety of a cysteine residue.
In specific embodiments, the target protein analyte is Growth-Regulated Oncogene-alpha. GROα expression levels are predictive of transplant outcomes and represent a valuable monitoring tool for surgeons. In some embodiments, the peptide is a fragment of GROα, such as the 16 amino acid peptide consisting of the following sequence: CAQTEVIATLKNGRKA (SEQ ID NO: 3).
In specific embodiments, the target protein analyte is Vascular cell adhesion protein 1 (VCAM-1). In some embodiments, the peptide is a fragment of VCAM-1. In some embodiments, the VCAM-1 is modified to add a cysteine residue such that the thiol moiety of the added cysteine residue is bound to the electrode. In some embodiments, the modified VCAM-1 peptide is the 30 amino acid peptide consisting of the following sequence: CVNLIGKNRK EVELIVQEKP FTVEISPGPR (SEQ ID NO: 4).
As used herein, “peptide” is a shorter polypeptide and may refer to peptides less than 1500, 1400, 1300, 1200, 1100, 1000, 900, 800, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 150, 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, or 5 amino acids in length, or within ranges bounded by any of the foregoing (i.e. 10-20, 20-30, 10-40 . . . etc.).
The recited antibodies are capable of binding to both the target protein analyte and the peptide bound to the electrode. As a result, the target protein analyte competes with the protein/peptide bound to the electrode for the antibody. Removal of the blocking antibody from the electrode allows the redox reporter to diffuse to the surface of the electrode, resulting in a change in the measured oxidation current.
The terms “antibody” and “immunoglobulin”, as used herein, refer broadly to any immunological binding agent or molecule that comprises a human antigen binding domain, including polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Depending on the type of constant domain in the heavy chains, whole antibodies are assigned to one of five major classes: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM. Several of these are further divided into subclasses or isotypes, such as IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, and the like. The heavy-chain constant domains that correspond to the different classes of immunoglobulins are termed α, δ, ε, γ and μ, respectively. The subunit structures and three-dimensional configurations of different classes of immunoglobulins are well known.
Generally, where whole antibodies rather than antigen binding regions are used in the invention, IgG and/or IgM are preferred because they are the most common antibodies in the physiological situation and because they are most easily made in a laboratory setting.
The “light chains” of mammalian antibodies are assigned to one of two clearly distinct types: kappa (κ) and lambda (λ), based on the amino acid sequences of their constant domains and some amino acids in the framework regions of their variable domains. There is essentially no preference to the use of κ or λ light chain constant regions in the antibodies of the present invention.
As will be understood by those in the art, the immunological binding reagents encompassed by the term “antibody” extend to all human antibodies and antigen binding fragments thereof, including whole antibodies, dimeric, trimeric and multimeric antibodies; bispecific antibodies; chimeric antibodies; recombinant and engineered antibodies, and fragments thereof.
The term “antibody” is thus used to refer to any antibody-like molecule that has an antigen binding region, and this term includes antibody fragments that comprise an antigen binding domain such as Fab′, Fab, F(ab′)2, single domain antibodies (DABs), T and Abs dimer, Fv, scFv (single chain Fv), dsFv, ds-scFv, Fd, linear antibodies, minibodies, diabodies, bispecific antibody fragments and the like.
The techniques for preparing and using various antibody-based constructs and fragments are well known in the art. Diabodies, in particular, are further described in EP 404, 097 and WO 93/11161.
Antibodies can be fragmented using conventional techniques. For example, F(ab′)2 fragments can be generated by treating the antibody with pepsin. The resulting F(ab′)2 fragment can be treated to reduce disulfide bridges to produce Fab′ fragments. Papain digestion can lead to the formation of Fab fragments. Fab, Fab′ and F(ab′)2, scFv, Fv, dsFv, Fd, dAbs, T and Abs, ds-scFv, dimers, minibodies, diabodies, bispecific antibody fragments and other fragments can also be synthesized by recombinant techniques or can be chemically synthesized. Techniques for producing antibody fragments are well known and described in the art.
The human antibodies or antibody fragments can be produced naturally or can be wholly or partially synthetically produced. Thus the antibody may be from any appropriate source, for example recombinant sources and/or produced in transgenic animals or transgenic plants, or in eggs using the IgY technology. Thus, the antibody molecules can be produced in vitro or in vivo.
Preferably, the human antibody or antibody fragment comprises an antibody light chain variable region (VL) that comprises three complementarity determining regions or domains and an antibody heavy chain variable region (VH) that comprises three complementarity determining regions or domains. Said VL and VH generally form the antigen binding site. The “complementarity determining regions” (CDRs) are the variable loops of β-strands that are responsible for binding to the antigen. Structures of CDRs have been clustered and classified by Chothia et al. (J Mol Biol 273 (4): 927-948) and North et al., (J Mol Biol 406 (2): 228-256). In the framework of the immune network theory, CDRs are also called idiotypes.
As used herein “fragment” relating to a polypeptide or polynucleotide means a polypeptide or polynucleotide consisting of only a part of the intact polypeptide sequence and structure, or the nucleotide sequence and structure, of the reference gene. The polypeptide fragment can include a C-terminal deletion and/or N-terminal deletion of the native polypeptide, or can be derived from an internal portion of the molecule. Similarly, a polynucleotide fragment can include a 3′ and/or a 5′ deletion of the native polynucleotide, or can be derived from an internal portion of the molecule.
Electrodes for the detection systems and methods described herein are any electrically conductive materials with properties allowing linkers on the electrode's surfaces. Electrodes have the capability to transfer electrons to or from a redox reporter and are generally connected to an electronic control and detection device. In general, noble metals, such as, Ag, Au, Ir, Os, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru and others in their family are suitable materials for electrodes. Noble metals have favorable properties including stability and resistance to oxidation, may be manipulated in various methods such as electrodeposition, and bind to thiols and disulfide containing molecules thereby allowing attachment of said molecules. Other materials can also be used, such as nitrogen-containing conductive compounds (e.g., WN, TiN, TaN) or silicon/silica-based materials, such as silane or siloxane. In certain embodiments, the electrode is gold, palladium or platinum. In other embodiments, the electrode is carbon. In further embodiments, the electrode is indium tin oxide.
In some embodiments, the electrode is a microelectrode. In other embodiments, the microelectrode is a nanostructured microelectrode (“NME”). NMEs are microelectrodes that feature nanostructured surfaces. Surface nanotexturing or nanostructures provide the electrode with an increased surface area, allowing for greater sensitivity, particularly in biosensing applications. Manufacturing of NMEs can be performed via electrodeposition. By varying parameters such as deposition time, deposition potential, supporting electrolyte type and metal ion sources, NMEs of a variety of sizes, morphologies and compositions may be generated. In certain instances, NMEs have a dendritic structure. Complexity of the dendritic structure is achieved by the varying the aforementioned electrodeposition parameters. Exemplary NMEs for use in the systems and methods described herein are described in International Pat. Appl. Ser. No. PCT/CA2009/001212 (published as WO/2010/025547) which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Other electrode structures can also be used in the detection systems and methods described herein, including, planar surfaces, wires, tubes, cones and particles. Commercially available macro- and micro-electrodes are also suitable for the embodiments described herein.
Electrodes are sized, for example, from between about 0.0001 to about 5000 microns in length or diameter; between about 0.0001 to about 2000 microns in length or diameter; from between about 0.001 to about 250 microns; from between about 0.01 to about 200 microns; from between about 0.1 to about 100 microns; from between about 1 to about 50 microns; from between about 10 to about 30 microns in length, or below about 10 microns in length or diameter. In certain embodiments, electrodes are sized at about 100 microns, about 30 microns, about 10 microns or about 5 microns in length or diameter. In further embodiments, electrodes are sized at about 8 microns.
In some embodiments, the detection systems and methods described herein, comprise one electrode for detection. In other embodiments, multiple electrodes are used. Use of multiple electrodes can be used in parallel to detect a target analyte via one antibody type attached to each electrode, in some embodiments. Alternatively, in other embodiments, multiple electrodes are used for multiplexing.
In further embodiments, an electrode is located upon a substrate. The substrate can comprise a wide range of material, either biological, nonbiological, organic, inorganic, or a combination of any of these. For example, the substrate may be a polymerized Langmuir Blodgett film, functionalized glass, Si, Ge, GaAs, GaP, SiO2, SiN4, modified silicon, or any one of a wide variety of gels or polymers such as (poly)tetrafluoroethylene, (poly)vinylidenedifluoride, polystyrene, cross-linked polystyrene, polyacrylic, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, poly(lactide coglycolide), polyanhydrides, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), polysiloxanes, polymeric silica, latexes, dextran polymers, epoxies, polycarbonates, or combinations thereof.
Substrates can be planar crystalline substrates such as silica based substrates (e.g. glass, quartz, or the like), or crystalline substrates used in, e.g., the semiconductor and microprocessor industries, such as silicon, gallium arsenide, indium doped GaN and the like. Silica aerogels can also be used as substrates, and can be prepared by any known methods. Aerogel substrates may be used as free standing substrates or as a surface coating for another substrate material.
The substrate can take any form and typically is a plate, slide, bead, pellet, disk, particle, microparticle, nanoparticle, strand, precipitate, optionally porous gel, sheets, tube, sphere, container, capillary, pad, slice, film, chip, multiwell plate or dish, optical fiber, etc. The substrate can be any form that is rigid or semi-rigid. The substrate may contain raised or depressed regions on which an assay component is located. The surface of the substrate can be etched using well known techniques to provide for desired surface features, for example trenches, v-grooves, mesa structures, or the like. The substrate can take the form of a photodiode, an optoelectronic sensor such as an optoelectronic semiconductor chip or optoelectronic thin-film semiconductor, or a biochip. The location(s) of electrode(s) on the substrate can be addressable; this can be done in highly dense formats, and the location(s) can be microaddressable or nanoaddressable. In some embodiments, the electrode(s) is on a microfabricated chip.
Surfaces on the substrate can be composed of the same material as the substrate or can be made from a different material, and can be coupled to the substrate by chemical or physical means. Such coupled surfaces may be composed of any of a wide variety of materials, for example, polymers, plastics, resins, polysaccharides, silica or silica-based materials, carbon, metals, inorganic glasses, membranes, or any of the above-listed substrate materials.
The substrate and/or its surface is generally resistant to, or is treated to resist, the conditions to which it is to be exposed in use, and can be optionally treated to remove any resistant material after exposure to such conditions.
Accordingly, in some embodiments, the electrode is a noble metal.
In some embodiments, the electrode is carbon.
In some embodiments, the electrode is indium tin oxide.
In some embodiments, the electrode is gold, palladium or platinum.
In some embodiments, the electrode is a nanostructured microelectrode.
In some embodiments, the electrode is less than about 100 microns, about 5 to about 50 microns, or less than about 10 microns; or about 1.6 mm in diameter.
In some embodiments, the electrode has a surface area of between about 6-9×10−5 cm2 and 2×10−2 cm2.
In some embodiments, the electrode is on a microfabricated chip.
In some embodiments, the microfabricated chip comprises gold, preferably as described in
The peptide may be attached in any number of ways to the electrode. The peptide may be attached directly to the electrode. For example, in the case of a gold electrode, the peptide may be attached directly through a cysteine residue on the peptide. Alternatively, the peptide could be attached through a linker or linking chemistry that would be known to a person skilled in the art. Linkers to attach biomolecules to electrodes are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0005068.
Redox reporters suitable for use in the systems and methods described herein are capable of generating an electrical signal (e.g., faradaic current) with the electrode when a potential is applied. Any redox reporter that generates a faradaic current or is capable of interfacial electron transfer with the electrode can be used. Non-limiting redox reporters, include but are not limited to small redox-active groups such as ferricyanide/ferrocyanide, ferrocene and hexachloroiridate(IV)/hexachloroiridate(III). The detection systems utilize redox reporters to generate baseline electrical signals with the electrode.
Samples for the detection systems and methods described herein can be any material suspected of containing an analyte. In some embodiments, the sample can be any source of biological material which comprises proteins that can be obtained from a living organism directly or indirectly, including cells, tissue or fluid, and the deposits left by that organism, including viruses, mycoplasma, and fossils. Typically, the sample is obtained as or dispersed in a predominantly aqueous medium. Nonlimiting examples of the sample include lung perfusate, blood, urine, semen, milk, sputum, mucus, a buccal swab, a vaginal swab, a rectal swab, an aspirate, a needle biopsy, a section of tissue obtained for example by surgery or autopsy, plasma, serum, spinal fluid, lymph fluid, the external secretions of the skin, respiratory, intestinal, and genitourinary tracts, tears, saliva, tumors, organs, samples of in vitro cell culture constituents (including but not limited to conditioned medium resulting from the growth of cells in cell culture medium, putatively virally infected cells, recombinant cells, and cell components), and a recombinant library comprising proteins, peptides, and the like.
The sample can be a positive control sample which is known to contain a target analyte. A negative control sample can also be used which, although not expected to contain the analyte, is suspected of containing it (via contamination of one or more of the reagents) or another component capable of producing a false positive, and is tested in order to confirm the lack of contamination by the target analyte of the reagents used in a given assay, as well as to determine whether a given set of assay conditions produces false positives (a positive signal even in the absence of target analyte in the sample).
The sample can be diluted, dissolved, suspended, extracted or otherwise treated to solubilize and/or purify any target analyte present or to render it accessible to reagents which are used in an amplification scheme or to detection reagents. Where the sample contains cells, the cells can be lysed or permeabilized to release the polynucleotides within the cells. One step permeabilization buffers can be used to lyse cells which allow further steps to be performed directly after lysis, for example a polymerase chain reaction.
As used herein, the term “control” refers to a specific value or dataset that can be used to minimize the effects of variables other than the single independent variable. The control is intended to increase the reliability of the results, often through a comparison between control measurements and the other measurements. A control also includes the use of calibrating samples. For example, in some embodiments, there may be provided the use of standard titration curves (and the like) of known concentrations of protein analyte and protein antibody to quantitate the amount of protein analyte in the sample.
In some embodiments, the electrochemical signal is directly inversely proportional to the amount of antibody bound to the peptide.
In some embodiments, the sample is mixed with the antibody prior to the sample-antibody mixture, in conjunction with the redox reporter, is incubated with the electrode. In other embodiments, the sample is contacted with the antibody prior to the sample-antibody mixture being incubated with the electrode, and the redox reporter is subsequently added.
In some embodiments, the control comprises a standard titration curve of known concentrations of protein analyte and protein antibody. Various parameters may be varied to ensure
In some embodiments, the conductive surface area of the one or more electrode(s) are increased or decreased so as to ensure the electrochemical signal generated by the redox reporter falls within a dynamic range of the standard titration curve.
In some embodiments, the concentration of the antibody is increased or decreased so as to ensure the electrochemical signal generated by the redox reporter falls within a dynamic range of the standard titration curve.
In some embodiments, the ratio of peptide to electrode is increased or decreased so as to ensure the electrochemical signal generated by the redox reporter falls within a dynamic range of the standard titration curve.
In some embodiments, one or more of the conductive surface area of the electrode, the antibody concentration, and the peptide to conductive surface area of the electrode ratio is selected to allow for a measurable change in the electrochemical signal between the sample and a control sample containing no protein analyte.
In some embodiments, the protein analyte is a biomarker for a disease, disorder or condition.
In an aspect, there is provided a kit for the electrochemical detection of a protein analyte in sample, the kit comprising: an electrode comprising a peptide attached to its surface, the peptide being the protein or a fragment thereof; an antibody capable of binding to the protein analyte and the peptide on the electrode; a redox reporter; and instructions for use.
In some embodiments, the kit comprises a plurality of different sized substrates. Preferably, each of the different sized substrates contains a progression of electrodes having different sizes or surface areas. Further preferably, each of the different sized substrates contains a progression of electrodes having different sizes or surface areas in two dimensions, and a progression of different ratios of peptide to electrode concentration across one of said dimensions.
In some embodiments, the kit comprises the antibody in a plurality of concentrations.
In some embodiments, the instructions correspond to the methods described herein.
The advantages of the present invention are further illustrated by the following examples. The examples and their particular details set forth herein are presented for illustration only and should not be construed as a limitation on the claims of the present invention.
Methods and Materials
Microchip Fabrication
Microchips were fabricated in-house at the Toronto Nanofabrication Centre (University of Toronto, Toronto, ON) using precoated (5 nm chromium, 50 nm gold, and AZ1600 (positive photoresist)) glass substrates purchased from Telic Company. Standard contact lithography was used to pattern the sensing electrodes and followed by Au and Cr wet etching steps and removal of the positive photoresist etchant mask. SU-8 2002 (negative photoresist) (Microchem Corp.) was then spin-cast (4000 rpm, 40 s) and patterned using contact lithography to create the 5-500 μm circular sensing apertures. Microchips were diced in-house using a standard glasscutter and washed with acetone (Caledon Labs), isopropyl alcohol (Caledon Labs), and then O2 plasma etched using (Samco RIE System (Samco)).
Biosensor Electroplating
Gold electrodes (planar or three-dimensional) were electrodeposited at room temperature using a Bioanalytical Systems (BASi) epsilon potentiostat with a three-electrode system featuring a Ag/AgCl reference electrode (BASi) and a platinum wire auxiliary electrode. Gold apertures on the glass microchips served as the working electrode and the biosensors were deposited using 0-50 mM HAuCl4 (Sigma-Aldrich) using D.C. potential amperometry at 0 mV for 0-30 seconds.
Biosensor Functionalization
Synthetic ET-1 peptides were placed on freshly prepared gold electrodes (1-20 μL probe solution volume) in a humidity chamber and the deposition was allowed to occur overnight at room temperature. Electrodes were thoroughly washed with dH2O then backfilled with 1 mM MCH (Sigma-Aldrich) for at least 2 hours. Electrodes were thoroughly washed before proceeding to hybridization experiments.
Sensor Blocking
The electrode blocking protocol was as follows: experiments were carried out using 20 μL of 0 to 1 μg mL−1 ET-lantibody (ab48251Abcam) in PBS (Invitrogen) or STEEN Solution™ (XVIVO Perfusion) for 30-60 minutes at room temperature. Following hybridization, electrodes were washed thoroughly and prepared for electrochemical measurements.
Electrochemical Measurements
All electrochemical measurements were performed on a Bioanalytical Systems (BASi) epsilon potentiostat with a three-electrode system featuring a Ag/AgCl reference electrode (BASi), a platinum wire auxiliary electrode, and the biosensing electrode serving as the working electrode. Electrodes were incubated in 2.5 mM [Fe(CN)6]3− and 2.5 mM [Fe(CN)6]4− (Sigma-Aldrich) for 30 seconds then scanned using differential pulse voltammetry from 0 mV to 400 mV.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
High-binding, 96-well Costar® plates (Corning Life Sciences) were coated with 10 μg mL−1 of synthetic ET-1 peptide in PBS, overnight, at 4° C. Plates were thoroughly washed then blocked with a solution of 1% (w/v) of BSA (Sigma-Aldrich) in PBS for 60 minutes at room temperature and shaken at 500 rpm. For the ET-1 assay, a preincubation of various concentrations of synthetic ET-1 peptide and 1 μg mL−1 of ET-1 antibody was carried out in a separate reaction tube for 45 minutes prior to being added to the ELISA plate for 45 minutes at room temperature and 500 rpm. Plates were subsequently washed and incubated with streptavidin-HRP (Cell Signaling) for 30 minutes at room temperature and 500 rpm. Following washing, 3,3′5,5′-tetramethybenzidine (TMB) (Cell Signaling) was added to each well for 5-15 minutes and protected from light. To stop the reaction, an equal volume of 1.0 N H2SO4 was added to each well and the absorbance at 450 nm was read using a (Spectramax M2 (Molecular Devices)).
ET-1 Analysis Assay (EAA)
Varying concentrations of synthetic ET-1 peptide or perfusate samples collected from a donor lung undergoing EVLP were combined in a separate reaction tube with up to 1 μg mL−1 of ET-1 antibody for 45 minutes prior to being added to the biosensing microchip at room temperature. ET-1 concentrations were calculated by extrapolating x-values (anti-ET-1 antibody concentrations) from experimentally derived y-values (% available surface) based on the equation of the line from a standard curve of anti-ET-1 concentration dilutions. The calculated anti-ET-1 concentration was then subtracted from the actual, added, anti-ET-1 concentration to derive the endogenous ET-1 peptide concentration bound to anti-ET-1 antibodies in solution.
Statistical Analysis
Statistical calculations and analysis were carried out using Prism 6 (GraphPad) and SPSS (IBM) software. For all statistical calculations, a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results and Discussion
Therefore, this work sets out to develop a novel sensing approach for small peptides, such as ET-1. The assay is based on a competitive ELISA-like approach, but incorporates an electrochemical detection method that is sensitive, automatable, and has rapid readout properties.
By exploiting the amino acid sequence of the endothelin-1 peptide, an electrochemical assay was developed to monitor the presence of endogenous ET-1 using an approach similar to that of a competitive ELISA (
In samples collected during EVLP, the presence of the ET-1 peptide in solution competes with the surface-bound ET-1 for the binding of ET-1 antibodies (
This scheme was validated by comparing the DPV scans of a sensor with no blocking, complete blocking, and partial blocking due to ET-1 peptide in solution (
In order to expand the dynamic range of this approach, the size of each sensor was varied from small to large by changing the time that the sensors were electrodeposited (30 to 120 seconds) (SI
A proof-of-concept study of the ET-1 analysis assay (EAA) was performed to validate its accuracy. A standard titration of ET-1 antibody concentrations (SI
EVLP perfusate solution, STEEN solution, is an acellular matrix that represents a simplified medium for rapid and sensitive biological analysis. During EVLP, diagnostic biomarkers such ET-1 are present and can accumulate in STEEN solution2, 18. Using the same EAA approach as ET-1 detection in PBS, spiked ET-1 levels (500 and 250 ng mL−1) in STEEN solution (
The sensing platform may be capable of detecting very short peptide sequences using a competitive electrochemical assay. This indirect approach serves as a strong foundation for determining endogenous ET-1 concentrations in lung perfusate and may be of benefit to transplant teams for the prediction of patient outcomes. Future work will explore efforts that further improve the speed and subsequent timing of the EAA in order to facilitate its clinical implementation. In addition, studies that are focused on determining and quantifying of an absolute cutoff for the ET-1 levels associated with lung and patient outcomes will be investigated. By monitoring ET-1 levels during the transplant process, a new level of biomarker-based patient survival prediction is now possible and this information may be used to guide transplant teams towards targeted therapeutic strategies that, together, may improve the quality of life for the transplant patient.
The system and methods of Example 1 were adapted for other analytes. GROα was used as a model analyte (
Since not all antigenic peptides of full-length proteins contain a thiol residue, peptides may be modified to allow the utilization of any protein-antibody pair. As a model system, a VCAM-1 peptide-antibody pair was used. The VCAM-1 antigenic peptide (
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. All documents disclosed herein, including those in the following reference list, are incorporated by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CA2016/000259 | 10/14/2016 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62241439 | Oct 2015 | US |