A Novel Adaptive Platform for Rapid, Simple Flow-Based Antibody Detection Devices Predicts NAb Levels to SARS-CoV-2
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background: COVID-19 has caused millions of deaths and continues to burden individuals and the healthcare system. Antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2 have proven to be the most reliable markers of immune protection, targets for vaccine development, and approaches for anti-viral antibody-based therapies. Measuring neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers at the bedside could inform individualized shared decision-making with patients regarding the potential benefits of repeating vaccines, use of preventative or therapeutic antibody-based therapies, and, where relevant, collection of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) with greater efficacy, especially as NAb-escape mutations have guided SARS-CoV-2 variant emergence. However, specific and accessible assays to quantify NAb levels in individuals, including the identification of potential antibody donors at the time of donation, remain unavailable. Therefore, there is a need for platforms that can be rapidly adapted to quantify serum antibody responses with known or expected correlates of protection. Methods: In this report, we apply a novel semi-quantitative method to an established antibody lateral flow assay (sqLFA) and analyze its ability to detect the presence of functional NAbs in the serum of COVID-19-recovered individuals early in the pandemic. Results: We found that the sqLFA has a strong positive correlation with the gold-standard microneutralization assay (specificity 80% and sensitivity 90% at a microneutralization cutoff of 1:40). Conclusions: Taken together, the sqLFA provides a novel point-of-care-based platform for rapid readout of NAb-based immune protection to SARS-CoV-2.
Source: Pathogens and Immunity
Authors: Andreas Markmann, D. Ryan Bhowmik, Baowei Jiang, Usaphea Vanna, Michael Van Hoy, Frank Wang, Yixuan Hou, David Margolis, Ralph Baric, Aravinda De Silva, Luther Bartelt
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Funders: European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Functional Nano and Soft Materials, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Houston Endowment, Pfizer, Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, Aso Group, Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province, Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Sunovion, University of Manitoba, Les Laboratories Pierre Fabre, Jed Foundation, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, European Commission, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, National Research Foundation, University of Pretoria, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Higher Education Authority, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, King Saud University, Austrian Science Fund, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University, Carl Tryggers Stiftelse för Vetenskaplig Forskning, Chiang Mai University, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, National Research Foundation of Korea, Guangdong Medical Research Foundation, Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province, Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS, Vetenskapsrådet, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Shionogi, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Russian Science Foundation, National University of Sciences and Technology, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Peking University, Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Università degli Studi di Udine, Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung, Council of Science and Technology, U.P., Walailak University, Alzheimer Nederland, State Key Laboratory of Organic–Inorganic Composites, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project, Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research, Fundación Gonzalo Río Arronte, Breakthrough Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Directorate for Engineering, Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội, Bayer Foundation, Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Science and Engineering Research Board, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Institut Lagrange de Paris, Special Fund Project for Science and Technology Innovation Strategy of Guangdong Province, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province, Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, National Institute on Aging, Basic Energy Sciences, Defence and Security Accelerator, Astrophysics Division, HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund, Irish Rugby Football Union
OpenAlex ID: W7128993775