Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 113, Issue 21, Pages 5892-5897Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1602493113
Keywords
silk; blood; protein; stabilization; diagnostics
Categories
Funding
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health [UL1TR001064]
- National Science Foundation [1521898]
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research [FA9550-14-1-0015]
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency [HDTRA1-14-1-0061]
- National Institutes of Health [P41EB002520]
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Program [SB112-005]
- Div Of Industrial Innovation & Partnersh
- Directorate For Engineering [1521898] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Advanced personalized medical diagnostics depend on the availability of high-quality biological samples. These are typically biofluids, such as blood, saliva, or urine; and their collection and storage is critical to obtain reliable results. Without proper temperature regulation, protein biomarkers in particular can degrade rapidly in blood samples, an effect that ultimately compromises the quality and reliability of laboratory tests. Here, we present the use of silk fibroin as a solid matrix to encapsulate blood analytes, protecting them from thermally induced damage that could be encountered during non-refrigerated transportation or freeze-thaw cycles. Blood samples are recovered by simple dissolution of the silk matrix in water. This process is demonstrated to be compatible with a number of immunoassays and provides enhanced sample preservation in comparison with traditional air-drying paper approaches. Additional processing can remediate interactions with conformational structures of the silk protein to further enhance blood stabilization and recovery. This approach can provide expanded utility for remote collection of blood and other biospecimens empowering new modalities of temperature-independent remote diagnostics.
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