A publication in clinical chemistry by Piia von Lode et al uses Meridian Life Science monoclonal antibody to beta hCG in the development of a POC immunoassay for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
hCG is one of the most common analytes available for point-of-care (POC) pregnancy testing.
The publication is called 'Quantitative, Wide-Range, Five-Minute Point-of-Care Immunoassay for Total Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Whole Blood'.
This antibody is specific for intact hCG and its beta subunit.
It does not cross react with the hCG alpha subunit.
The authors achieved their goal of developing a simple and rapid POC assay that relied on non-competitive assay techniques similar to those in immunoassays used for routine laboratory testing.
In addition, their POC assay reacted with hyperglycosylated hCG, nicked hCG, free hCGss, nicked-free hCGss and hCGss core fragment.
In the 1990s, advances in the technology of pregnancy tests included the development of antibodies and the use of enzyme labels in place of radioactive labels that began to be used in the 1960s.
