Nucleic acid hybridization, diagnostic

The following discussion is focused on in vitro applications of monoclonal antibodies and nucleic acid probes as diagnostic reagents. The principles of production and characteristics of Mabs are described in Chapter 2. Their use as in vivo diagnostic imaging agents has been discussed in Chapter 3 in the context of therapeutic applications, and is not discussed further here. The principles of PCR and nucleic acid hybridization have been discussed in Chapter 2 and Chapter 4, respectively. 

Nucleic acid probe methods which rely on the specificity of nucleic acid hybridization reaction, combined with the powerful methods of nucleic acid amplification, are expected to spawn many new diagnostic tests which may be useful in the detection and treatment of infectious diseases, cancer, and inherited disorders. The impact of development and applications of diagnostic tests based on nucleic acid probes and on Mab technology wiU be felt increasingly as deeper understanding of diseases at a molecular level is gained. 

Nucleic acid hybridization is based on the precise nucleotide base pairing and hydrogen bonding between one string of nucleotides and a complementary nucleotide sequence. Any diagnostic nucleic acid hybridization test has three essential elements the DNA probe, the target DNA and the signal detection system. Recent developments in detection systems and improvements in safety have enabled... 

Nucleotides and nucleic acids are critical tools in the areas of gene expression, therapeutics, and diagnostics. However, there are certain challenges associated with their large-scale purification and subsequent characterization. While solid-state oligonucleotide synthesis is relatively simple and can be totally automated, intra- and intermolecular associations may occur involving shorter sequences that may hybridize with the desired full length... 

Recently, the use of AR has extended into several other areas, yielding interesting information for cytology, fresh cell/tissue sections, and fluorescence IHC (fluorescence in situ hybridization [FISH]), in addition to adaptations of the method for extraction of nucleic acids and proteins from FFPE tissues for use with modern methods of molecular analysis. In this chapter, the emphasis is on expanded applications in diagnostic cytology, fresh frozen cell/... 

Hybridization of nucleic acid probes to membrane-bound target sequences is a commonly used technique in gene structure and expression analysis, medical diagnostics, and gene targeting. 

The development of assay techniques that have convenience of solid-phase hybridization and are rapid and sensitive will have a significant impact on diagnostics and genomics [3]. In this respect, SPE genosensors have several advantages they are safe because they are disposable, they are reproducible, they are inexpensive, and the overall procedure is quite fast. In this respect, electrochemical adsorption (adsorption controlled by a positive potential) is an easy to perform and rapid way of immobilization. The method does not require special reagents or nucleic acid modifications. 

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