Introduction

Over the past 50 years, numerous methods have been developed for the in vitro detection of diagnostic markers in biological fluids. These analyses often rely on antigen / antibody recognition (immunoassay). However, there is a great need to develop methods with higher sensitivity, lower costs and higher simplicity to be performed.

Technical features

The present invention relates to a composition of liposomes containing an aqueous solution at a different pH with respect to the pH of the solution in which they are suspended. Such a liposome has at least one specific ligand on the surface for an analyte of interest contained in a biological fluid. This feature allows exploiting this system in dosing methods. The presence of the liposome, possibly linked to the ligand of interest, is highlighted through a detectable pH variation by means of a pH meter or, more banally, an indicators or litmus paper. This new method is called LICIA (LIpHosomes Conjugated Immunosorbent Assay). Compared to the used ELISA test, the LICIA test requires low-cost instrumentation available to any scientific laboratory (pH meter), and the necessary molecules have a lower cost. Furthermore, the pH meter requires fewer skills than those required for ELISA instrumentation.

Possible Applications

• Immuno-enzymatic assays;
• In vitro diagnostic tests;
• Liquid biopsies;
• Dosing methods;
• Agri-food analysis;
• Environmental analysis.

Advantages

• Reduction of preparation costs;
• Easy use by unskilled personnel;
• Use of low-cost equipment in any laboratory;
• Wide method versatility: The LipHosoma can be functionalized to detect different targets in various diagnostic kits.