ELISA
What is ELISA?
ELISA stands for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. It uses engineered antibodies to detect if a particular substance, such as a protein, hormone, or another specific antibody, is present in a sample.
How does it work?
There are many different types of ELISA. The type we used was called sandwich ELISA. A capture antibody is laid down to bind to the patient sample. Then, engineered antibodies, attached to an enzyme, are added to the solution. If the specific protein is present, the antibody binds and sticks. If not, it’s washed out. When the substrate is added, only wells with the attached antibody and enzyme will change color, signifying the presence of the protein.
How did we use it?
We used ELISA to determine the best treatment for a hypothetical breast cancer patient. There are three biomarkers of breast cancer:
What did we find?
The patient was positive for ER &PR, and negative for HER2. This means the patient has Luminal A breast cancer, which makes them responsive to hormone therapy. Drugs can be given that block the estrogen and progesterone receptors, thus stunting the growth of the tumor.
Why did I choose this?
I chose to write about ELISA because I love the concepts behind it. Antibodies are part of the human immune system – they tag and neutralize invading pathogens – but here, scientists are able to use them for their own purposes. I love instances where we can take something that happens naturally and tweak it a little so it helps us; it’s very elegant. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, because nature’s already done it for us. This concept can also be applied elsewhere. Immunotherapies such as CAR-T cells or TIL wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t study, utilize, and manipulate processes in our bodies. ELISA is a great example of how we can use things that already exist for new purposes.
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