What are multiplex assays?
Multiplex assays are derivatives of ELISA and they can be tagged as special types of immunoassays that you can apply through magnetic beads usage. These magnetic beads are also useful when it comes to measuring a lot of analytes restricted to just a solo experiment.
Why multiplex assays?
Multiplex bead array assay is spreading massively and being tagged as a new key discovery but research shows that it has been in existence for a certain period of time. Several tests have been carried out through the use of molecular ligands as well as immunological method.
Benefits of multiplex assays
These multiplex cytokine assays have some potentials and benefits that they offer when they are applied which includes
- Its independent and quantitative ability to assay several analytes in a simultaneous manner in meagre spaces of the medium used.
- Ability to gather data from various bead arrays to record a statistical figure for the ligands available.
- It helps to reduce the cost of operation and usage of time is minimized which stimulates and ensures a timely use in research areas or its related ones.
Application of multiplex assays
In order to validate assays, some factors such as its precision level, its ability to reproduce, how accurate is it, and how trustworthy it can be, which lead to comparing it with the procedures tagged to be the standards to pass. Almost every array kit comes with a key piece of information and reference that will aid in the application but there are still some certain levels of uncertainty as regards whether a collection of data through multiplex assays will be similar or different from data collected when other methods are applied to get results.
What are Cytokines?
Cytokines can be described as the kind of molecules which are applied by the cells in immune systems in a bid to communicate and connect with one another. This is very crucial because of the need for collating the molecules from the system to the point where the pathogens attacking are.
Identifying cytokines has been a very great invention in the biological sector. This is because they aid in providing adequate and crucial information as regards physiological processes. They also help to know more about disease pathways. They can be classified into proteins and peptides based on their characteristics which aid in identifying what kind of category a disease falls under.
How multiplexing helps in the Detection of Cytokine
Applying multiplex assays is a technological innovation that is very crucial when it comes to detecting cytokines. The assays can be carried out quickly with precise and accurate methods through the use of plenty of magnetic beads or through the application of internally dyed microspheres. The dyes in these microspheres are to indicate the presence of a certain angle in any case of the mixture. Then a molecule that detects is put in and analysis is done with the aid of an instrument that will determine the spectral address of the microsphere. This will also help expand more, the signal of the captured molecules. All these lead to a report on what contents are in the sample. Application of these assays can be used to develop better models of development as regards animal disease and vaccines.
Advantages of multiplex assays towards detecting cytokines
- They make use of a little number of samples.
- They guarantee and deliver accurate and precise results devoid of errors.
- The processes come with a huge throughput.
- They are very affordable and not expensive.
Summary
This method is a very huge and better alternative to others when it comes to evaluating the majority of cytokines tested and for the characterization of immune system status. The huge complex nature of these physiological molecules and processes needs very accurate and very efficient processes of the assay. This multiplex technological innovation provides a wide and enhanced method of cytokine discovery and identification. This enables the testing of a lot of cytokines at a go on just a solo sample. These methods have been established to be accurate and perfect despite not taking a lot of time and not costing a lot of money.
When put in comparison with ELISA, these multiplex arrays are endowed with a lot of advantages which include:
- Very huge throughput analysis of multiplex.
- A very less amount sample is needed.
- It is very efficient and can be trusted.
- It is affordable.
- It does not take a lot of time.
- It is capable of assisting when it comes to evaluating the levels of one given inflammatory molecule in the context of many more.
- It can perform several processes of the same cytokine panels in the same subjects under the same experimental assay situation.
- It is capable of detecting a variety of proteins across a broad dynamic range of concentrations.