RAPID ELECTRONIC DETECTION OF CELL SURFACE PROTEINS

Minerva Biotechnologies将开发MEMS（微电子微机械系统）技术，以电子方式检测和定量完整细胞表面的蛋白质，并筛选阻断它们的药物。初步结果表明，该技术可用于定量单个细胞表面的蛋白质（100分子检测），这是现有技术无法达到的水平。我们的方法可以更准确地评估癌细胞表面的蛋白质表达是如何改变的，并消除大量异质细胞群带来的不确定性。我们将扩展该系统，使嵌入肿瘤切片的细胞表面的蛋白质可以在原位进行电子分析。组织标本的每个扇形（类似于细胞的尺寸）可以分析蛋白质含量和表达水平，然后与组织病理学相关联。这种能力将确保单细胞分析的相关性，因为它将使研究人员能够识别与癌细胞相关的蛋白质模式，并丢弃随机的异常蛋白质表达。量化肿瘤标志物的能力将有助于临床医生评估预后和预测对治疗的反应。该技术的电子元件价格低廉且可小型化，使其与基础研究或临床环境兼容。拟议的商业应用：我们正在寻求SBIR资金开发的技术将允许对完整细胞表面的蛋白质进行廉价，快速和超灵敏的检测。该技术可立即应用于癌症诊断和对治疗反应的监测。同样的技术可以大规模复用，使用计算机微电子技术筛选细胞上的抗癌候选药物，并通过识别相互作用的受体和配体来识别可能的抗癌药物靶点。

Minerva Biotechnologies will develop MEMS (microelectronic micromechanical systems) technology to electronically detect and quantitate proteins on the surface of an intact cell and screen for drugs to block them. Preliminary results indicate that the technology can be used to quantitate proteins on the surface of a single cell (100 molecule detection): a level not possible with existing technology. Our approach would allow more accurate assessment of how protein expression is altered, on the surface of cancer cells, and eliminate uncertainties introduced by large heterogeneous cell populations. We will extend the system so that proteins on the surface of cells embedded in a tumor section can be electronically analyzed, in situ. Each sector (dimensions similar to a cell) of the, tissue specimen could be analyzed for protein content and expression level, then correlated with histopathology. This capability will ensure the relevance of single cell analysis because it will enable the researcher to identify protein patterns that are associated with cancer cells and discard random aberrant protein expression. Capability to quantitate tumor markers will help clinicians assess prognosis and predict response to therapy. The electronics of the technology are inexpensive and miniaturizable, making it compatible with either basic research or clinical settings. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: The technology we are seeking SBIR funding to develop will allow for the cheap, rapid and ultra-sensitive detection of proteins on the surface of intact cells. The technology is immediately applicable to cancer diagnosis and the monitoring of response to therapy . The same technology can be massively multiplexed using computer microelectronics for screening of anti-cancer drug candidates on cells and for the identification of likely anti-cancer drug targets by identifying interacting receptors and ligands.