Journal of Analytical & Bioanalytical Techniques
Open Access

Research Article

Biosensor-based Binding Assay for Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor-α Autoantibodies in Human Serum

Massimiliano Cuccioloni1^†*, Gianluca Moroncini^2,3†, Matteo Mozzicafreddo¹, Katarzyna N Pozniak², Giulia Nacci⁴, Antonella Grieco², Chiara Paolini², Cecilia Tonnini², Ada Funaro⁴, Mauro Angeletti¹, and Armando Gabrielli^2,3

¹School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

²Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Molecolari, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy

³Clinica Medica, Ospedali Riuniti Ancona, Italy

⁴Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Università di Torino, Italy

^†These authors equally contributed to the manuscrip

*Corresponding Author:

Massimiliano Cuccioloni
School of Biosciences and Biotechnology
University of Camerino
62032 Camerino, Italy
Tel: +39 0737 403247
E-mail: massimiliano.cuccioloni@unicam.it

Received date: March 27, 2013; Accepted date: May 15, 2013; Published date: May 17, 2013

Citation: Cuccioloni M, Moroncini G, Mozzicafreddo M, Pozniak KN, Nacci G, et al. (2013) Biosensor-based Binding Assay for Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor-α Autoantibodies in Human Serum. J Anal Bioanal Tech S7:010. doi:10.4172/2155-9872.S7-010

Copyright: © 2013 Cuccioloni M, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Biosensors are versatile tools for monitoring molecular interactions. Herein, we report a novel assay designed to detect anti-platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) autoantibodies in the serum of patients affected by systemic sclerosis (SSc), an autoimmune disease of the connective tissue. The assay was based on resonant mirror sensing, and used recombinant PDGFRα as molecular “bait” for anti-PDGFRα autoantibodies (IgG class). The selection and optimization of the analytical procedure required a preliminary investigation on the preservation of the native-like conformation of the receptor following the immobilization procedure. The PDGFRα-based biosensor was used to test IgG purified from sera of SSc patients and healthy controls (HC). The specificity and the reversibility of the interaction permitted a rapid analysis, a single detection test requiring only a few minutes. Remarkably, this assay could discriminate between SSc patients and HC. This receptor-based biosensor, based on the reversible interaction between a blocked macromolecule and soluble ligands, and with major advantages such as the rapidity, the reusability of the capturing surface and the low cost per single test, could represent a promising approach for the diagnosis of SSc and other diseases characterized by anti-receptor autoantibodies or other bioactive ligands to cellular receptors.

Keywords