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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 9: Posters: Biotechnology and bioengineering
BP 9.4: Poster
Monday, March 31, 2014, 17:30–19:30, P3
Single molecule detection of insulin autoantibodies in type 1 diabetes — •Juliane Beyer1, Ralf Paul2, Ezio Bonifacio2, and Stefan Diez1, 3 — 1B CUBE - Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany — 2CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Germany — 3Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized as a chronic autoimmune disease caused by a selective inflammatory destruction of the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans. Closely associated to T1D are insulin autoantibodies (IAAs), representing early markers of the disease. Therefore the reliable detection is needed to i) predict the onset of T1D, ii) implement successful regenerative therapies and iii) to prevent loss of the beta cell mass.
For this purpose, we developed a novel optical assay for the detection of insulin autoantibodies using single molecule detection. This quantitative approach specifically detects IAAs in the low pM range using quantum dots and total internal reflection microscopy (TIRF).
So far, for clinically diagnostics, IAAs are detected using an antigen radiolabelling approach which is time consuming, hazardous and expensive. With our novel assay we are able to specifically detect high affinity antibodies without using radiolabelled antigens.
In the future our assay could be used as a point of care measurement for T1D, readily usable in the health care sector combining the prognostic and diagnostic measurements of autoantibodies in T1 D.