ELISA assay is an immunological method with numerous applications in clinical studies, basic research, and diagnostics. Other applications of the ELISA method include environmental studies, food sciences, and agricultural testing. The medical and agricultural industries have a wide range of ELISA applications, such as measuring drugs and hormones. In pharmaceutical studies, ELISA assays are employed widely in animal studies, drug discovery assessments, and clinical trials.
Generally, ELISA assay methods are performed in 96- or 346-well microplates. This plate-based technique helps researchers and scientists detect and study several diseases and medical conditions. ELISA analysis is critical to identifying pathogens and managing chronic diseases. By exploiting the specificity and sensitivity of ELISA assays, ELISA labs can help healthcare providers make informed choices. Unlike other techniques, such as LC-MS/MS analysis, ELISA assays specialize in identifying diseases due to their capability to identify antigens or antibodies. This ability makes ELISA assays an indispensable tool in disease detection. The current article discusses the key applications of ELISA assays in disease detection.
Clinical diagnostics
The ELISA method is used widely as a diagnostic tool in clinical research and other applications. These methods can detect specific antigens or antibodies in complex biological matrices, making them ideal for diagnosing a broad range of medical diseases and conditions. ELISA analysis is an excellent alternative for diagnosing acute infection and can be adapted to screen large samples with limited resources. Today, multiple ready-to-use ELISA assays are available for detecting infectious agents. Some applications of ELISA assays include:
Infectious disease diagnosis
ELISA assays can readily diagnose infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and pathogens. For example, ELISA can indicate infection by detecting antibodies produced against a pathogen. ELISA assays can identify several diseases, such as hepatitis B and C, HIV, syphilis, and Lyme disease.
Allergy testing
ELISA assays can detect IgE antibodies generated against allergens such as dust mites, pollen, or food. It can determine the allergen and diagnose allergies.
Diagnose autoimmune diseases
ELISA assays can identify autoantibodies generated by the immune system that may attack its own tissues and cells. This method can detect and diagnose autoimmune diseases, for example, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus.
Cancer diagnostics
Tumor markers are substances that are produced by cancer cells and found in bodily fluids. ELISA assays can detect tumor markers and help diagnose cancer types such as ovarian and prostate cancer.
Drug level monitoring
ELISA can monitor drug levels to ensure it does not go beyond the therapeutic level to toxic levels. Besides, ELISA analysis can measure drug levels in urine and confirm drug abuse.
Must Read: What are the Different Types of Cytokine Assays?
Biomedical research
ELISA analysis has a wide range of applications in biomedical and diagnostic research. It can determine biological molecules at low amounts. Despite certain limitations, ELISA assays remain vital for transforming biomedical research. Below are some ways ELISA assays are employed in biomedical research.
Protein quantification
ELISA can quantify specific protein quantification in multiple study samples. This method helps researchers study protein regulation and expression in tissues and cells.
Antibody detection
ELISA assays can effectively quantify and detect antibodies in study matrices such as plasma or serum. These measurements facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of the immune system and its reaction to vaccinations or pathogens.
Drug discovery
ELISA assays can screen large compound libraries to assess their binding efficiency to specific proteins. This ability helps identify potential drug molecules for subsequent development.
Biomarker discovery
Biomarkers are indicators of the severity, presence, or progression of diseases and medical conditions. This feature helps researchers detect and monitor specific biomarkers that can help diagnose and treat medical conditions.
Drug discovery
ELISA assays have significant importance in drug discovery and development. They can be used to identify and monitor novel drug targets. ELISA assays can identify new proteins, enzymes, receptors, and other molecules associated with medical conditions and diseases. Besides, they are used commonly in PK/PD assessments. These evaluations investigate drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and their influence on target systems. Additionally, ELISA assays can determine drug concentrations in tissues and bodily fluids, which is critical in determining drug schedules and doses. ELISA assays can identify drug biomarkers for therapeutic response and disease diagnosis.
Food safety testing
Similar to diagnostic and clinical applications, ELISA plays a significant role in food safety testing. Researchers employ ELISA assays to identify pathogens, contaminants, and allergens present in food products. ELISA analysis is an inexpensive and rapid approach to screen large numbers of food samples for safety testing and quality control purposes. Besides, ELISA assays are ideal for quality control in fish, milk, irradiated foods, genetically modified foods, and other components that may impact human health. Additionally, ELISA assays are used in different food safety assessments, including monitoring food processes and production, detecting foodborne pathogens, and screening imported foods.
In conclusion
ELISA assays are the cornerstone of diagnostic research. Due to its simplicity and advanced sensitivity and specificity, researchers from multiple domains of biomedical and pharmaceutical research choose ELISA analysis for routine applications. However, adequate ELISA development, optimization, and validation will remain critical to generate accurate, reliable, and reproducible results.
Comments
0 comment