Bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects reproductive-age women and can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, postpartum endometritis, and preterm labor/delivery and predisposes the infection of sexually transmitted diseases. Typically, BV diagnosis involves the analysis of vaginal swab samples via microscopy operated by highly skilled personnel. Hence, novel approaches for BV diagnosis are an existing need. In response, the first immunosensing platform targeting sialidase, a BV biomarker, is reported. The nanophotonic operational principle of this biosensing platform allows for a cheaper, faster, and simpler analysis when compared with an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The clinical evaluation of such a nanotechnology is highlighted, where 162 vaginal swab samples were analyzed with high sensitivity and specificity (96.29%, respectively). The resulting nanoimmunosensing platform offers a resourceful approach to perform a timely BV diagnosis.
Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most frequent vaginal infections. Its main etiological agent is Gardnerella vaginalis, which produces several virulence factors involved in vaginal infection and colonization, in particular, sialidase (SLD), a potential clinical biomarker that participates in immune response modulation and mucus degradation. The main objective of this work was the production and evaluation of a monoclonal antibody against G. vaginalis sialidase and its validation in immunoassays. For immunization of mice, a synthetic multiantigenic peptide was used, and hybridomas were generated. After fusion, hybridomas were evaluated for antibody production and cloned by limited dilution. One clone producing IgG1 was selected and characterized by indirect ELISA, dot blot, and Western blot, and we also tested clinical isolates and HeLa cells infected with G. vaginalis. The results showed that the anti-SLD antibody recognized a single protein of~90 kDa that correlated with the estimated molecular weight of SLD. In addition, anti-SLD antibody recognized SLD from complete bacteria and from culture supernatants of infected Hela cells. In conclusion, our results showed that the anti-SLD antibody recognized SLD from different sources and could be considered a new tool for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis. Key Points • Anti-sialidase mAb was generated using a synthetic peptide • The mAb recognizes synthetic peptide and intact protein from multiple sources • The antibody was characterized by several immunological methods
Monoclonal antibodies are among the most effective tools for detecting tumor-associated antigens. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved more than 36 therapeutic antibodies for developing novel alternative therapies that have significant success rates in fighting cancer. However, some functional limitations have been described, such as their access to solid tumors and low interaction with the immune system. Single-chain variable fragments (scFv) are versatile and easy to produce, and being an attractive tool for use in immunotherapy models. The small size of scFv can be advantageous for treatment due to its short half-life and other characteristics related to the structural and functional aspects of the antibodies. Therefore, the main objective of this review was to describe the current situation regarding the mechanisms of action, applications, and limitations of monoclonal antibodies and scFv in the treatment of cancer.
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