A novel method for liquid-phase extraction of cell-free DNA for detection of circulating tumor DNA.

Low yields of extracted cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma limit continued development of liquid biopsy in cancer, especially in early-stage cancer diagnostics and cancer screening applications. We investigate a novel liquid-phase-based DNA isolation method that utilizes aqueous two-phase systems to purify and concentrate circulating cfDNA. The PHASIFY MAX and PHASIFY ENRICH kits were compared to a commonly employed solid-phase extraction method on their ability to extract cfDNA from a set of 91 frozen plasma samples from cancer patients.

Evaluation of the INDICAID COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test in Symptomatic Populations and Asymptomatic Community Testing.

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, there is an increasing need for rapid, accessible assays for SARS-CoV-2 detection. We present a clinical evaluation and real-world implementation of the INDICAID COVID-19 rapid antigen test (INDICAID rapid test). A multisite clinical evaluation of the INDICAID rapid test using prospectively collected nasal (bilateral anterior) swab samples from symptomatic subjects was performed.

Enhancing the lateral-flow immunoassay for viral detection using an aqueous two-phase micellar system.

Availability of a rapid, accurate, and reliable point-of-care (POC) device for detection of infectious agents and pandemic pathogens, such as swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus, is crucial for effective patient management and outbreak prevention. Due to its ease of use, rapid processing, and minimal power and laboratory equipment requirements, the lateral-flow (immuno)assay (LFA) has gained much attention in recent years as a possible solution. However, since the sensitivity of LFA has been shown to be inferior to that of the gold standards of pathogen detection, namely cell culture and real-time PCR, LFA remains an ineffective POC assay for preventing pandemic outbreaks.

Intratumoral therapy of glioblastoma multiforme using genetically engineered transferrin for drug delivery.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor with median survival of only 12 to 15 months under the current standard of care. To both increase tumor specificity and decrease nonspecific side effects, recent experimental strategies in the treatment of GBM have focused on targeting cell surface receptors, including the transferrin (Tf) receptor, that are overexpressed in many cancers. A major limitation of Tf-based therapeutics is the short association of Tf within the cell to deliver its payload.