Amperometric immunosensor for detecting Schistosoma mansoni antibody

Diagnosis of schistosomiasis japonica with interfacial co-assembly-based multi-channel electrochemical immunosensor arrays

Schistosomiasis control remains to be an important and challenging task in the world. However, lack of quick, simple, sensitive and specific sero-diagnostic test is still a hurdle in the control practice. The commonly employed enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) relies on the native soluble egg antigen (SEA) that is limited in supply. Here we developed an electrochemical immunosensor array (ECISA) assay with an interfacial co-assembly strategy. A recombinant Schistosoma japonicum (Sj) calcium-binding protein (SjE16) was used as a principal antigen, while the SEA as a minor, co-assembling agent, with a ratio of 8:1 (SjE16: SEA, Sj16EA), which was co-immobilized on a disposable 16-channel screen-printed carbon electrode array. A portable electrochemical detector was employed to detect antibodies in serum samples. The sensitivity of ECISA reached 100% with minimal cross-reactions. Therefore, we have demonstrated that this rapid, sensitive and specific ECISA technique has the potential to perform large-scale on-site screening of Sj infection.

Biosensors as rapid diagnostic tests for tropical diseases

Effective diagnosis of infectious pathogens is essential for disease identification and subsequent adequate treatment, to prevent drug resistance and to adopt suitable public health interventions for the prevention and control of epidemic outbreaks. Particular situations under which medical diagnostics operate in tropical environments make the use of new easy-to-use diagnostic tools the preferred (or even unique) option. These diagnostic tests and devices, usually based on biosensing methods, are being increasingly exploited as promising alternatives to classical, "heavy" lab instrumentation for clinical diagnosis, allowing simple, inexpensive and point-of-care testing. However, in many developing countries the lack of accessibility and affordability for many commercial diagnostic tests remains a major cause of high disease burden in such regions. We present a comprehensive overview about the problems of conventional medical diagnosis of infectious pathologies in tropical regions, while pointing out new methods and analytical tools for in-the-field and decentralized diagnosis of current major infectious tropical diseases. The review includes not only biosensor-based rapid diagnostic tests approved by regulatory entities and already commercialized, but also those at the early stages of research.