Thermo-Photonic Reader for Accurate and Sensitive Interpretation and Quantification of BTNX Inc COVID-19 Antibody Rapid Tests

热光子阅读器可准确、灵敏地解释和量化 BTNX Inc COVID-19 抗体快速测试

• 批准号: 555006-2020
• 负责人: Tabatabaei, Nima
• 金额: $ 2.77万
• 依托单位: York University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=705594
• 关键词: Thermo; Photonic; Reader; Accurate; Sensitive

The alarming rate of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality is an indicator that early detection of the disease is not being executed effectively, resulting in infection of vulnerable individuals by undetected cases. While the standard-of-care testing method based on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is key for detecting active upper airway COVID-19 infections, it is not useful for detecting the virus from the routine nasal or throat samples ~one-week post-infection. Antibody lateral flow immunoassays (LFAs) are low-cost and end-user friendly rapid tests that could provide complementary and additional information to PCR-based assays by detecting immune response of the body to COVID-19 disease. While these LFAs can rapidly be administered across the population, their sensitivity and accuracy are limited at the early stages of the disease. Therefore, unavailability of good immunological assays to detect the immune response at early stages with high sensitivity preclude many valuable opportunities for clinical intervention and interruption of disease transmission. In this project we have partnered with BTNX Inc., a Canadian world leader in rapid point-of-care diagnostics, to introduce thermo-photonic interpretation to their existing COVID-19 LFAs to obtain a new assay that is not only low cost and rapid but also sensitive and quantitative. The innovation to be produced in this project is expected to 1) reliably detect COVID-19 antibodies within the first week of illness onset; 2) accurately quantify the concentrations of COVID-19 antibodies (antibody titer). The proposed new assay system will be a rapid and low-cost tool for use by 1) the health network and end-users for rapid and on-site detection of COVID-19 antibodies even at early stages of disease at large scale; 2) public health authorities for estimating the degree of vulnerability in population; 3) blood donor clinics for identifying convalescent plasma with abundant antibody titers 4) employers across Canada for more objective return-to-work screening. For Canadian researchers, the proposed assay is a valuable quantitative and portable tool for rapid, yet low-cost, quantification of COVID-19 IgM and IgG antibodies which is key for the development of vaccine and therapeutic strategies.

COVID-19的发病率和死亡率令人震惊，这表明该疾病的早期检测没有得到有效执行，导致未被发现的病例感染了弱势群体。虽然基于PCR（聚合酶链反应）的标准护理检测方法是检测活动性上呼吸道COVID-19感染的关键，但它对于检测感染后一周的常规鼻或喉样本中的病毒没有用处。抗体侧流免疫测定（LFA）是低成本和终端用户友好的快速检测，可以通过检测身体对COVID-19疾病的免疫反应，为基于PCR的检测提供补充和额外的信息。虽然这些LFA可以在整个人群中快速施用，但它们的灵敏度和准确性在疾病的早期阶段是有限的。因此，在早期阶段以高灵敏度检测免疫应答的良好免疫测定法的不可获得性排除了临床干预和中断疾病传播的许多宝贵机会。在这个项目中，我们与BTNX Inc.合作，加拿大快速床旁诊断领域的全球领导者，将热光子解释引入其现有的COVID-19 LFA，以获得一种不仅成本低、快速而且灵敏、定量的新检测方法。该项目将产生的创新预计将1）在发病的第一周内可靠地检测COVID-19抗体; 2）准确量化COVID-19抗体的浓度（抗体滴度）。拟议的新检测系统将是一种快速和低成本的工具，可供1）卫生网络和最终用户使用，用于快速和现场检测COVID-19抗体，即使是在疾病的早期阶段大规模使用; 2）公共卫生当局用于估计人口的脆弱程度; 3）献血者诊所，以确定恢复期血浆与丰富的抗体滴度4）雇主在加拿大更客观的返回工作筛选。对于加拿大研究人员来说，拟议的检测方法是一种有价值的定量和便携式工具，可用于快速、低成本地定量COVID-19 IgM和IgG抗体，这是开发疫苗和治疗策略的关键。