Background COVID-19 has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lateral flow assays can detect anti-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies to monitor transmission. However, standardized evaluation of their accuracy and tools to aid in interpreting results are needed. Methods We evaluated 20 IgG and IgM assays selected from available tests in April 2020. We evaluated the assays’ performance using 56 pre-pandemic negative and 56 SARS-CoV-2-positive plasma samples, collected 10–40 days after symptom onset, confirmed by a molecular test and analyzed by an ultra-sensitive immunoassay. Finally, we developed a user-friendly web app to extrapolate the positive predictive values based on their accuracy and local prevalence. Results Combined IgG + IgM sensitivities ranged from 33.9 to 94.6%, while combined specificities ranged from 92.6 to 100%. The highest sensitivities were detected in Lumiquick for IgG (98.2%), BioHit for both IgM (96.4%), and combined IgG + IgM sensitivity (94.6%). Furthermore, 11 LFAs and 8 LFAs showed perfect specificity for IgG and IgM, respectively, with 15 LFAs showing perfect combined IgG + IgM specificity. Lumiquick had the lowest estimated limit-of-detection (LOD) (0.1 μg/mL), followed by a similar LOD of 1.5 μg/mL for CareHealth, Cellex, KHB, and Vivachek. Conclusion We provide a public resource of the accuracy of select lateral flow assays with potential for home testing. The cost-effectiveness, scalable manufacturing process, and suitability for self-testing makes LFAs an attractive option for monitoring disease prevalence and assessing vaccine responsiveness. Our web tool provides an easy-to-use interface to demonstrate the impact of prevalence and test accuracy on the positive predictive values.

Bispecific T-cell engagers (TcEs) are antibody-based immunotherapeutic drugs that specifically direct lymphocyte effector functions against tumors. TcEs have one arm with affinity for an activating immunoreceptor connected through a flexible hinge to a distinct arm with affinity for a tumor antigen to achieve tumor killing by cytotoxic immune cells. Understanding the structure-function relationships between TcE architecture, immunological synapse formation and function could accelerate design of new TcE-based cancer therapies. Here, we engineer and systematically characterize TcE formats with antigen binding antibody fragments or single chain variable fragments linked together in cis through immunoglobulin G1 hinge or in trans across the antibody constant fragment. The TcEs were tested in CD8+ T-cell killing of Her2+ breast cancer cells and evaluated by high-content imaging of immunological synapse formation on a supported lipid bilayer (SLB) platform. We find that cis TcEs perform better than a trans TcE for T-cell mediated killing. Quantification of synapse formation dynamics revealed that all three cis TcEs tested, created close contacts of < 16 nm leading to rapid synapse formation and integrin activation. In contrast, the trans TcE formed close contacts averaging ≥ 16 nm and formed synapses more slowly with weaker integrin activation. We conclude that segmental flexibility is important for TcE function, but adding additional degrees of freedom through trans formats has a cost for killing efficiency that may be explained by failure of close contact formation and integrin activation.

Background: COVID-19 has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lateral flow assays can detect anti-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies to monitor transmission. However, standardized evaluation of their accuracy and tools to aid in interpreting results are needed.Methods: We evaluated 20 IgG and IgM assays selected from available tests in April 2020. We evaluated the assays’ performance using 56 pre-pandemic negative and 56 SARS-CoV-2-positive plasma samples, collected 10-40 days after symptom onset, confirmed by a molecular test and analyzed by an ultra-sensitive immunoassay. Finally, we developed a user-friendly web app to extrapolate the positive predictive values based on their accuracy and local prevalence.Results: Combined IgG+IgM sensitivities ranged from 33.9% to 94.6%, while combined specificities ranged from 92.6% to 100%. The highest sensitivities were detected in Lumiquick for IgG (98.2%), BioHit for both IgM (96.4%), and combined IgG+IgM sensitivity (94.6%). Furthermore, 11 LFAs and 8 LFAs showed perfect specificity for IgG and IgM, respectively, with 15 LFAs showing perfect combined IgG+IgM specificity. Lumiquick had the lowest estimated limit-of-detection (LOD) (0.1 mg/mL), followed by a similar LOD of 1.5 mg/mL for CareHealth, Cellex, KHB, and Vivachek.Conclusion: We provide a public resource of the accuracy of select lateral flow assays with potential for home testing. The cost-effectiveness, scalable manufacturing process, and suitability for self-testing makes LFAs an attractive option for monitoring disease prevalence and assessing vaccine responsiveness. Our web tool provides an easy-to-use interface to demonstrate the impact of prevalence and test accuracy on the positive predictive values.

No abstract