We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
ZeptoMetrix an Antylia scientific company

Download Mobile App




Events

02 Jun 2025 - 04 Jun 2025
11 Jun 2025 - 13 Jun 2025

New Synthetic Biomarker Technology Differentiates Between Prior Zika and Dengue Infections

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 14 May 2024

Until now, researchers and clinicians have lacked diagnostic tools to easily differentiate between past infections with different flaviviruses—a family of mostly mosquito- and tick-borne viruses that include Zika and dengue. More...

This challenge has hindered clinical-epidemiologic studies, viral diagnostics, and vaccine development. Antibodies for Zika virus, a mosquito-borne virus that spread to the Americas in 2015 and continues to cause sporadic outbreaks, can often be mistaken for dengue virus antibodies in many diagnostic tests. This confusion makes it difficult to determine if a person who tests positive had dengue, Zika, or both. For reproductive-age women, it is particularly crucial to know if they have had Zika and likely have immunity since infection during pregnancy can lead to birth defects. Knowing their immunity status can guide their efforts to avoid mosquito bites in endemic areas during pregnancy. Now, a newly discovered Zika virus-specific synthetic molecule can distinguish Zika-immune patient samples from those previously infected with dengue virus. This technology may lead to the development of better diagnostics and vaccine candidates.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA, USA) and The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology (Jupiter, FL, USA), is the first to apply the novel “epitope surrogate” technology to Zika. The research team utilized an approach pioneered by co-senior author Thomas Kodadek, Ph.D., a chemist with The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, to screen half a million “peptide-inspired conformationally constrained oligomers,” or PICCOs, against blood samples from individuals infected with either dengue or Zika virus. PICCOs are nonorganic molecular shapes attached to microscopic plastic beads that mimic epitopes—the parts of a pathogen that an antibody would bind to in order to neutralize the threat.

If any of the PICCOs match the shape of an antibody in the blood sample, the antibody will bind to them, allowing researchers to "fish" it out. The presence of an antibody against a virus in a person's blood indicates a past infection or vaccination, prompting the immune system to produce antibodies. The researchers identified 40 PICCOs that interacted with Zika virus antibodies. After screening these against dengue-positive blood, one PICCO, named CZV1-1, was particularly effective at binding Zika antibodies but not dengue antibodies. This single CZV1-1 PICCO synthetic molecule correctly identified individuals previously infected with Zika virus 85.3% of the time and produced false positives in only 1.6% of tests, rates comparable to COVID-19 antibody tests. Notably, the PICCO screening technology used to identify the Zika-specific molecule does not require refrigeration and could also be adapted for other outbreaks.

“The technology is amazing. You don’t need to know the sequence, or the structure, or even the pathogen,” said co-senior author Donald Burke, M.D., Pitt Public Health dean emeritus. “As long as you have chosen the right sets of patient blood samples to compare, you can tease out the important antibodies that differ between the patient sets, along with the corresponding synthetic molecule biomarkers.”

Related Links:
University of Pittsburgh
The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute


Gold Member
Pharmacogenetics Panel
VeriDose Core Panel v2.0
Gold Member
Veterinary Hematology Analyzer
Exigo H400
New
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Test
OSOM® RSV Test
New
Shaking Incubator
Corning LSE 71L
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: Custom hardware and software for the real-time detection of immune cell biophysical signatures in NICU (Photo courtesy of Pediatric Research, DOI:10.1038/s41390-025-03952-y)

First-Of-Its-Kind Device Profiles Newborns' Immune Function Using Single Blood Drop

Premature infants are highly susceptible to severe and life-threatening conditions, such as sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Newborn sepsis, which is a bloodstream infection occurring in the... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The new tool is designed for accurate detection of structural variations in clinical samples (Photo courtesy of Karen Arnott/EMBL-EBI and Isabel Romero Calvo/EMBL)

ML Algorithm Accurately Identifies Cancer-Specific Structural in Long-Read DNA Sequencing Data

Long-read sequencing technologies are designed to analyze long, continuous stretches of DNA, offering significant potential to enhance researchers' abilities to detect complex genetic changes in cancer genomes.... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Concept of biosensor integrated into hygiene pads enabling direct semi-quantitative analysis of biomarkers in unprocessed menstruation blood (Photo courtesy of Dosnon, L et al. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202505170)

First Ever Technology Recognizes Disease Biomarkers Directly in Menstrual Blood in Sanitary Towels

Over 1.8 billion people menstruate worldwide, yet menstrual blood has been largely overlooked in medical practice. This blood contains hundreds of proteins, many of which correlate with their concentration... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.