PEPSENSE
Peptide-based sensor platform for real-time immunodiagnostics
White blood cells (leukocytes) are an important component of the immune defense. Infections, inflammatory syndromes and many other diseases, such as leukemia and anemia, affect the number and function of the various types of leukocytes in the blood. Changes in their composition and biological activity are therefore important markers of health status. Most routine diagnostic methods focus primarily on determining the percentage composition of the various types of leukocytes. Additional examinations of other activity parameters would enable an earlier and more precise diagnosis.
Project management:
Prof. Dr. Bernd Bufe, Prof. Dr. Alexey Tarasov, Prof. Dr. Peter Groß
Project partner:
thinXXS Microtechnology AG, Zweibrücken
Saarland University Hospital, Homburg
The project is funded by the BMBF
However, as this is considerably more difficult, it has rarely been carried out to date. The research group will develop a new high-throughput method that will enable the simple investigation of many activity parameters in living cells with high temporal resolution within minutes. The core technology is based on a high-affinity interaction of certain peptides with specific receptor groups on the surface of immune cells. It opens up new technological possibilities for earlier detection of diseases. The working group will demonstrate the potential of the method for the medical field in cooperation with the Intensive Care Unit at Saarland University Hospital using sepsis blood samples.
