METCAM/MUC18 is a Biomarker and Therapeutic Target for Prostate Cancer.

Background: METCAM/MUC18 may be a new serum biomarker for predicting malignant propensity of prostate cancer by using a modified lateral flow immune assay (modified LFIA), which used the extremely high affinity between biotin and streptavidin and two antibody combinations to increase the sensitivity and specificity of traditional LFIA. To increase the sensitivity and specificity to the highest degree, in this report we further improved this modified LFIA by using a new antibody combination, which includes a biotinylated home-made chicken antibody and a nano-gold conjugated rabbit antibody (MBS416853).

Materials And Methods: A calibration curve was established from two recombinant METCAM/MUC18 proteins (C-terminus GST as the positive control and NM-GST the negative control) and used for determining METCAM/MUC18 concentrations in 36 serum specimens from normal individuals and patients of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) patients, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), and prostate cancer at various Gleason scores and after treatment.

METCAM Is a Potential Biomarker for Predicting the Malignant Propensity of and as a Therapeutic Target for Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. This is because it is still unknown why indolent prostate cancer becomes an aggressive one, though many risk factors for this type of cancer have been suggested. Currently, many diagnostic markers have been suggested for predicting malignant prostatic carcinoma cancer; however, only a few, such as PSA (prostate-specific antigen), Prostate Health Index (PHI), and PCA3, have been approved by the FDA.

Validating METCAM/MUC18 as a Novel Biomarker to Predict the Malignant Potential of Prostate Cancer at an Early Stage by Using a Modified Gold Nanoparticles-Based Lateral Flow Immunoassay.

(1) Background: To further validate METCAM/MUC18 as a diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer, a modified Lateral Flow Immune Assay (LFIA) with increased sensitivity and specificity was designed by taking advantage of the extremely high affinity between biotin and streptavidin and used. (2) Methods: The combination of a commercial biotinylated rabbit antibody (EPP11278), or the home-made biotinylated chicken antibody, and the nano-gold conjugated home-made chicken antibody or a commercial rabbit antibody (EPP11278), had the higher sensitivity and specificity in this modified LFIA to establish calibration curves from the two recombinant METCAM/MUC18 proteins and were used for determining METCAM/MUC18 concentrations in serum specimens from normal individuals, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) patients, prostate cancer patients with various Gleason scores, and treated patients. (3) Results: Data obtained by this modified LFIA were statistically better than traditional LFIA and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.

METCAM/MUC18 is a new early diagnostic biomarker for the malignant potential of prostate cancer: Validation with Western blot method, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and lateral flow immunoassay.

Background: METCAM/MUC18 expression was increased with the malignant progression of prostate cancer and also a bona fide metastatic gene, capable of initiating and driving the metastasis of a non-metastatic human prostate cancer cell line to multiple organs.

Objective: We explored if METCAM/MUC18 was detectable in human serum and a novel biomarker to predict malignant propensity of prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: Two antibodies were identified by Western blot analysis having the highest sensitivity and specificity to establish calibration curves from the recombinant METCAM/MUC18 proteins.

Electrophoresis-enhanced detection of deoxyribonucleic acids on a membrane-based lateral flow strip using avian influenza H5 genetic sequence as the model.

This study reports a simple strategy to detect a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) on a membrane-based lateral flow (MBLF) strip without tedious gel preparation, gel electrophoresis, and EtBr-staining processes. The method also enhances the detection signal of the genetic sample. A direct electric field was applied over two ends of the MBLF strips to induce an electrophoresis of DNAs through the strips.

Three-dimensional arrayed amino aerogel biochips for molecular recognition of antigens.

The three-dimensional (3D) biochips prepared in this study are composed of a glass microscopy slide arrayed with amino aerogel dots. The amino aerogel was produced using the sol-gel process, with an ionic liquid as the template followed by a solvent extraction to remove the template and build a three-dimensional mesoporous structure. The FTIR spectrum verified that the major template was removed and the (29)Si solid-state NMR spectra recognized the cross-linkages in the SiO(2) network structure.

Effect of co-axially hybridized gene targets on hybridization efficiency of microarrayed DNA probes.

The effect of relative size of two co-axially hybridized gene targets on the hybridization efficiency was studied for two DNA probe configurations and various probe concentrations. Each of two sets of microarrayed probes contained a pair of DNA probes and a pair of their complementary samples labeled with two distinct fluorescent dyes. The sequence of each probe is especially designed so that two targets are simultaneously complementary to two adjacent sections of the probe.

A novel three-dimensional aerogel biochip for molecular recognition of nucleotide acids.

Mesoporous aerogel was produced under regular atmospheric conditions using the sol-gel polymerization of tetraethyl orthosilicate with an ionic liquid as both solvent and active agent. This was then used to build a three-dimensional structure to recognize nucleotide acids. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, (29)Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller instruments were used to characterize this 3D aerogel, demonstrating that it had high porosity and large internal networking surface area that could capture nucleotide acids.

Patch-distribution effect on diffusion-limited process in dilute suspension of partially active spheres.

The normalized overall rate constant, kp/kf for diffusion-limited processes in a dilute suspension of spheres, partially covered with active patches of varying distribution states, is studied with sped-up Brownian dynamic simulations. A dimensionless separation index Is is defined to quantify the characteristics of patch distribution on the sphere surfaces, with values of 0 and 1 corresponding to the states of the most compact and loosest patch distributions, respectively. Remarkably, the normalized overall rate constant is found to strongly correlate with the dimensionless separation index at fixed patch coverage fcover exhibiting a positive, linear relationship.