| Popis: |
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, their reliable detection is needed i) to predict the onset of T1D, ii) to 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 IAAs using single molecule detection. Our quantitative approach specifically detects IAAs in the low pM range using quantum dots and total internal reflection microscopy (TIRF). This method overcomes the limitations associated with current clinical diagnostic approaches where IAAs are detected using radiolabelled antigens in a time-consuming, hazardous and expensive manner. Thus, we believe that 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 T1D. |
