Designer Affinity Reagents for Biomarker Detection

Biomarkers are molecules whose presence is indicative of some biological phenomena, such as disease or infection. Since their discovery, biomarkers have played a vital role in the development of prognostic and personalized medicine. Traditionally, biomarkers are detected via various assay formats using engineered antibodies. The molecules, however, have a number of inherent limitations. Recombinant affinity reagents, however, have many advantages over traditional monoclonal antibodies: they are renewable, highly modifiable, easy to share, and require less time and resources to produce. The work herein describes two technological advances that could change the paradigms for reagent- and assay-development.