Diffusion and transfer of antibody proteins from a sugar-based hydrogel

Advection-Enhanced Kinetics in Microtiter Plates for Improved Surface Assay Quantitation and Multiplexing Capabilities

Surface assays such as ELISA are pervasive in clinics and research and predominantly standardized in microtiter plates (MTP). MTPs provide many advantages but are often detrimental to surface assay efficiency due to inherent mass transport limitations. Microscale flows can overcome these and largely improve assay kinetics. However, the disruptive nature of microfluidics with existing labware and protocols has narrowed its transformative potential. We present WellProbe, a novel microfluidic concept compatible with MTPs. With it, we show that immunoassays become more sensitive at low concentrations (up to 9× signal improvement in 12× less time), richer in information with 3-4 different kinetic conditions, and can be used to estimate kinetic parameters, minimize washing steps and non-specific binding, and identify compromised results. We further multiplex single-well assays combining WellProbe's kinetic regions with tailored microarrays. Finally, we demonstrate our system in a context of immunoglobulin subclass evaluation, increasingly regarded as clinically relevant.

Encapsulation of Biological Agents in Hydrogels for Therapeutic Applications

Hydrogels are materials specially suited for encapsulation of biological elements. Their large water content provides an environment compatible with most biological molecules. Their crosslinked nature also provides an ideal material for the protection of encapsulated biological elements against degradation and/or immune recognition. This makes them attractive not only for controlled drug delivery of proteins, but they can also be used to encapsulate cells that can have therapeutic applications. Thus, hydrogels can be used to create systems that will deliver required therapies in a controlled manner by either encapsulation of proteins or even cells that produce molecules that will be released from these systems. Here, an overview of hydrogel encapsulation strategies of biological elements ranging from molecules to cells is discussed, with special emphasis on therapeutic applications.

Polyurethane coatings release bioactive antibodies to reduce bacterial adhesion

This study describes the formulation of a biomedical grade polyurethane hydrogel coating containing solid dispersed bioactive antibodies cast from an organic solvent onto a model polymer biomaterial substrate. A prepolymer dispersion in anhydrous isopropanol containing a uniformly distributed slurry of 22 microm sieved commercial lyophilized polyclonal pooled human immunoglobulin G (IgG) solids was coated onto polymer substrates by simple immersion. Maximum antibody release was approximately 50 microg/cm(2) from a 15% w/w IgG polymer coating. In vitro antimicrobial studies utilized Escherichia coli to compare performance of bare uncoated tubing, hydrogel-coated tubing with added aqueous phase antibodies, and antibody-dispersed hydrogel-coated tubing. Bacterial adhesion was reduced significantly (p<0.05) in the presence of antibodies with the greatest reduction seen with the antibody releasing coating. The presence of antibody also significantly enhanced the killing of the bacteria in an in vitro opsonophagocytic assay using freshly isolated blood neutrophils over 2 h indicating that antibody bioactivity is maintained. This controlled release polyurethane hydrogel coating imparts infection resistance by exploiting the low adhesive properties of the biomedical grade hydrogel and the intrinsic bioactive role of the antibodies to reduce bacterial adhesion and promote clearance via natural immune mechanisms.