Περίληψη:
The availability of antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 represents a major step
for the mass surveillance of the incidence of infection, especially
regarding COVID-19 asymptomatic and/or early-stage patients. Recently,
we reported the development of a Bioelectric Recognition Assay-based
biosensor able to detect the SARS-CoV-2 S1 spike protein expressed on
the surface of the virus in just three minutes, with high sensitivity
and selectivity. The working principle was established by measuring the
change of the electric potential of membrane-engineered mammalian cells
bearing the human chimeric spike S1 antibody after attachment of the
respective viral protein. In the present study, we applied the novel
biosensor to patient-derived nasopharyngeal samples in a clinical
set-up, with absolutely no sample pretreatment. More importantly,
membrane-engineered cells were pre-immobilized in a proprietary
biomatrix, thus enabling their long-term preservation prior to use as
well as significantly increasing their ease-of-handle as test
consumables. The plug-and-apply novel biosensor was able to detect the
virus in positive samples with a 92.8% success rate compared to RT-PCR.
No false negative results were recorded. These findings demonstrate the
potential applicability of the biosensor for the early, routine mass
screening of SARS-CoV-2 on a scale not yet realized.
Συγγραφείς:
Mavrikou, Sophie
Tsekouras, Vasileios
Hatziagapiou, Kyriaki and
Paradeisi, Foteini
Bakakos, Petros
Michos, Athanasios and
Koutsoukou, Antonia
Konstantellou, Elissavet
Lambrou, I, George
and Koniari, Eleni
Tatsi, Elizabeth-Barbara
Papaparaskevas,
Joseph
Iliopoulos, Dimitrios
Chrousos, George P.
Kintzios,
Spyridon
