This is a companion article to the feature, “Immunoassay Analyzers Improve Service and Quality.”
The Aushon BioSystems imager, with an immunoassay kit.
Increasing sensitivity is one goal of advancing immunoassay technology. Aushon BioSystems, Billerica, Mass, a provider of high-sensitivity assays, instrumentation, and services for multiplex quantitative detection of protein biomarkers, recently launched Ciraplex ultrasensitive assays with multiplexing capabilities at femtogram (fg/mL) levels of detection. Developed and manufactured by Aushon, the Ciraplex platform includes a “small-footprint” instrument, a full line of assays, and advanced data management software.
Scott Van Arsdell, Aushon.
The product’s defining feature is ultrasensitivity, says Scott Van Arsdell, Aushon vice president of immunoassay technology. “Our easy-to-use platform is a fully integrated system. Although currently the line is for research use only, the intent is to develop future products for advancing clinical applications.”
Ciraplex is used in clinical research studies focused on the identification of biomarkers that are either predictive or indicative of patient response to treatment. “The Ciraplex line features a menu of over 245 assays addressing multiple biomarkers in a broad range of therapeutic areas,” Van Arsdell says. “We continue to add new analytes to the menu, either in response to customer’s custom requirements or clinical interests. We have found the areas of the greatest interest for protein biomarker immunoassays are oncology and inflammation.”
Ultrasensitive assays enable researchers to detect proteins that are expressed at very low levels in response to drug treatment. The platform allows high-throughput sample processing and exceptional precision and reproducibility, which are important in studies where large numbers of samples are tested for multiple biomarkers.
