Adarza BioSystems, Inc

Technology

Technology - Applications

Through two NIH-funded Phase I SBIR projects, we are developing antibody arrays for detection of protein biomarkers indicative of early cancer and for monitoring the levels of other proteins linked to potentially toxic environmental exposures. We have developed an integrated and portable prototype reader and have demonstrated the capability of arraying and analyzing several hundred detection spots on a single 1cm x 1cm chip. Because 1000s of specific antibodies are widely available and custom molecules are easy to acquire, this platform can be readily adapted to profile protein markers of choice in blood, urine, or other biofluid samples.

Cancer Diagnostics

It is apparent in the scientific literature that diagnostic tests for single molecular markers or small sets of 3 or 4 markers are insufficient tools for the study, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. This is especially true as our knowledge of these diseases expands with rapid progress in the genomics and proteomics fields. Our technology is a highly sensitive optical detection system designed to identify and quantify small surface modifications on an antireflection coating. By immobilizing highly selective probes (antibodies, peptides, or DNA), concentrations of various molecular targets in ~50 µL sample solutions can be identified with high sensitivity and without subsequent reagent-heavy labeling steps. Coupled with an inexpensive optical prototype reader, our technology has the potential to profile 100Ős of molecules with sub-picomolar sensitivity in a small cartridge that can be manufactured for less than $10. These characteristics are unique relative to commercial and emerging technologies based on enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), nanotubes, microspheres, microcantilevers, and nanoparticles. The relative simplicity of our approach also makes it amenable to point of care applications in clinics and private doctors' offices.

Environmental exposure (ex. Particulate matter)

Immune system communication pathways. Various cell types communicate by producing and detecting various signaling proteins. AIR is ideally suited to monitor the concentration of these proteins to acquire a snapshot of immune function.

Airborne particulate matter (PM) derived from a variety of natural sources (volcanic activity, forest fires) is omnipresent. However, human activity since the industrial revolution and the advent of the internal combustion engine has substantially increased the concentration of PM, particularly in urban areas. Human derived PM tends to be of smaller size, facilitating entry into the body through the respiratory and digestive tracts, as well as through the skin. It also tends to have adsorbed chemical species with greater toxicity than its natural counterparts. The explosive growth of nanotechnology in research and consumer products (sunscreens, cosmetics, paint) is also creating an array of ultrafine materials with largely unknown health effects. Despite numerous studies implicating PM in various disorders including acute respiratory infections, lung cancer, and chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, the specific biological mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Adarza BioSystems seeks to leverage its proprietary Arrayed Imaging Reflectometery (AIR) biosensing platform to build a device capable of capturing the detailed physiological response to PM exposure by profiling key marker proteins in conveniently available biosamples such as a finger pick of blood, urine, mucous, saliva, etc. Currently, such testing takes hours and is often done with individual tests. AIR is capable of sensitive and simultaneous protein detection with a device that is currently the size of a laptop computer. The low complexity of the testing platform will also enable the development of handheld units that would be particularly useful for profiling exposure response in the field. In addition to saving time and offering greater convenience these multiplex sensors will allow far more molecular data to be collected than is currently feasible.

Other Applications