Test kit and method for amplification and detection of antigen cells
OwnerM. Boris Rotmaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A test kit and method for the amplification and detection of specific antigen cells using a probe. The method includes reacting the probe-specific cells with enzyme-conjugated molecules to form separate molecules. The specific antigen cells are mixed with a selected antibiotic which antibiotic is adversely affected by the enzyme in the reporter molecules and incubating the mixture to promote a bacterial chain reaction forming satellite colonies of bacteria microcolonies about the specific cells which amplifies the cells. The method then includes detecting the amplified probe-specific cells by observing the satellite colonies.
Claims9
A method for determining a preselected subpopulation of cells comprising a characteristic cell surface antigen in a population of cells which method comprises
- (a) providing a sample comprising said population of cells;
- (b) contacting the sample with a probe comprising an enzyme conjugated to a specific binder which specifically binds to the characteristic cell surface antigen to form enzyme-coated cells, wherein the enzyme is capable of destroying a preselected antibiotic;
- (c) contacting the sample of step (b) with a homogenous agar layer comprising (i) the preselected antibiotic and (ii) a sample of bacteria whose growth is inhibited by the preselected antibiotic to form a culture medium;
- (d) incubating the culture medium at a temperature and for a time sufficient to provide for satellite growth of the bacteria, whereto the satellite growth consists of 5-100 bacterial colonies ranging in size from 0.1-2.0 mm clustered around the enzyme-coated cells in a circular pattern;
- and
- (e) determining the preselected subpopulation of cells comprising the characteristic cell surface antigen by correlating the occurrence of the satellite growth to the presence or amount of the preselected subpopulation of cells comprising the characteristic cell surface antigen in the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.