A nanobody based ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for the detection of soluble CTLA-4 -A candidate biomarker for cancer development and progression.

A soluble isoform of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) has been found in the serum of healthy individuals and alterations in its expression level have been linked with the development and progression of various cancers. Conventionally, soluble CTLA-4 (sCTLA-4) has been quantified by techniques such as ELISA, western blot, and flow cytometry, which however are time-consuming, highly expensive and require large sample volumes. Therefore, rapid, cost-effective and real-time monitoring of soluble CTLA-4 levels is much needed to facilitate timely diagnosis of a worsening disease and help patient selection for immunotherapeutic interventions in cancer.

Aptamer-based biosensors and their implications in COVID-19 diagnosis.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel infectious member of the coronavirus family, has caused millions of cases of infection and deaths all over the world, and been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Conventional laboratory-based diagnostic testing has faced extreme difficulties in meeting the overwhelming demand for testing worldwide, and this has brought about a pressing need for cost-effective rapid diagnosis. There has been a surge in the number of prototypes of diagnostic kits developed, although many of these have been found to be lacking in terms of their accuracy and sensitivity.