A Rapid and Sensitive Microfluidics-Based Tool for Seroprevalence Immunity Assessment of COVID-19 and Vaccination-Induced Humoral Antibody Response at the Point of Care
Kritika Srinivasan Rajsri,
Michael P. McRae,
Glennon W. Simmons,
Nicolaos J. Christodoulides,
Hanover Matz,
Helen Dooley,
Akiko Koide,
Shohei Koide,
John T. McDevitt
Affiliations
Kritika Srinivasan Rajsri
Department of Molecular Pathobiology, Division of Biomaterials, Bioengineering Institute, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA
Michael P. McRae
Department of Molecular Pathobiology, Division of Biomaterials, Bioengineering Institute, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA
Glennon W. Simmons
Department of Molecular Pathobiology, Division of Biomaterials, Bioengineering Institute, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA
Nicolaos J. Christodoulides
Department of Molecular Pathobiology, Division of Biomaterials, Bioengineering Institute, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA
Hanover Matz
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
Helen Dooley
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
Akiko Koide
Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Shohei Koide
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
John T. McDevitt
Department of Molecular Pathobiology, Division of Biomaterials, Bioengineering Institute, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA
As of 8 August 2022, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has infected over 585 million people and resulted in more than 6.42 million deaths worldwide. While approved SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein-based vaccines induce robust seroconversion in most individuals, dramatically reducing disease severity and the risk of hospitalization, poorer responses are observed in aged, immunocompromised individuals and patients with certain pre-existing health conditions. Further, it is difficult to predict the protection conferred through vaccination or previous infection against new viral variants of concern (VoC) as they emerge. In this context, a rapid quantitative point-of-care (POC) serological assay able to quantify circulating anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies would allow clinicians to make informed decisions on the timing of booster shots, permit researchers to measure the level of cross-reactive antibody against new VoC in a previously immunized and/or infected individual, and help assess appropriate convalescent plasma donors, among other applications. Utilizing a lab-on-a-chip ecosystem, we present proof of concept, optimization, and validation of a POC strategy to quantitate COVID-19 humoral protection. This platform covers the entire diagnostic timeline of the disease, seroconversion, and vaccination response spanning multiple doses of immunization in a single POC test. Our results demonstrate that this platform is rapid (~15 min) and quantitative for SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG detection.
