Enzyme-Free Test Detects Diseases Faster

Sep-05-16 By eliminating the need for enzymes, researchers have developed a new rapid test able to identify proteins in blood and plasma in just minutes instead of hours.

Current approaches to detecting proteins in blood rely on using enzymes to amplify the proteins’ signals, but the enzymes need to be properly stored and can cause a false positive if not completely washed away. To simplify the process, the team from UCLA developed a test that uses a molecular chain reaction, which will be triggered when it is in the presence of the target protein. The test takes only ten minutes, and can be carried out at room temperature.

The team hopes that eventually the testing technique could be used with portable readers, providing a quick and low-cost way to screen for diseases (such as cancer) in remote and resource-poor clinics.

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[MEDGADGET.COM]
[NEWSROOM.UCLA.EDU]

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