News, current developments

• Our project VEKOP-2.1.1-15-2016-00098, which aims the development of fluorescence-based cellular and molecular assays for allergy diagnostics, is approaching its half-life. Following a fine-tuning period for improving the sensitivity and reproducibility of cellular assays we are now testing clinical blood samples to assess the diagnostic value of our novel assays. These assays introduce metals and food components into the palette of allergens that so far consisted of drugs only. Besides the better known IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions, T cell-mediated allergic reactions are also becoming important targets of laboratory diagnostic assays.

• We published a new generalized model of antibody homeostasis in Clinical and Translational Immunology, which provides a unified view of natural and induced antibodies, starting from B-cell development to antibody effector functions.
  You can read these publications here
  - B-cell development: LINK
  - Antibody network theory: LINK
  - Antibody effector functions: LINK

• 2016 Apr 19-20. Diagnosticum participated at the MMM workshop in Potsdam, Germany, sharing our experience and looking for partnerships in the field of microarraying and microfluidics.

• 2016 Apr Results of a 24-month EU FP7 project called GAPAID were published in PLoS ONE. These results highlight the role of the complement system in systemic lupus erythematosus, also pointing out the potential of novel diagnostic tests.

• 2015 Dec We finalized screening tests with a novel ELISA for the simultaneous detection of two blood proteins (albumin and hemoglobin) in stool. The assay could be used for improved the detection of occult blood instead/besides guajac-based (gFOBT), immunological (FIT) and DNA tests when screening for colorectal carcinomas.