Bispecific Antibody Detection Using Antigen-Conjugated Synthetic Nucleic Acid Strands.

We report here the development of two different sensing strategies based on the use of antigen-conjugated nucleic acid strands for the detection of a bispecific antibody against the tumor-related proteins Mucin1 and epidermal growth factor receptor. Both approaches work well in serum samples (nanomolar sensitivity), show high specificity against the two monospecific antibodies, and are rapid. The results presented here demonstrate the versatility of DNA-based platforms for the detection of bispecific antibodies and could represent a versatile alternative to other more reagent-intensive and time-consuming analytical approaches.

Programming DNA-Based Systems through Effective Molarity Enforced by Biomolecular Confinement.

The fundamental concept of effective molarity is observed in a variety of biological processes, such as protein compartmentalization within organelles, membrane localization and signaling paths. To control molecular encountering and promote effective interactions, nature places biomolecules in specific sites inside the cell in order to generate a high, localized concentration different from the bulk concentration. Inspired by this mechanism, scientists have artificially recreated in the lab the same strategy to actuate and control artificial DNA-based functional systems. Here, it is discussed how harnessing effective molarity has led to the development of a number of proximity-induced strategies, with applications ranging from DNA-templated organic chemistry and catalysis, to biosensing and protein-supported DNA assembly.