The CHUV Immunology and Allergy Department team has developed a new, particularly sensitive serological test using Luminex technology and the S protein in a trimeric conformation, very close to the one naturally found in coronaviruses. This high quality protein was produced by the team of the Laboratory of Virology and Genetics at EPFL.
The fast development of the new test was made possible by the use of very powerful technological platforms developed over many years by the Swiss Vaccine Research Institute.
A collaboration between several institutions for a significant advancement
The combined use of Luminex technology and the S protein significantly increases the sensitivity of this new serological test. An evaluation carried out by the Immunology and Allergy Department in collaboration with the Microbiology Department of the University Hospital Center of the Canton of Vaud (CHUV) shows that it is 15% to 30% more sensitive than four other commercial tests, three of which (Snibe, Epitope Diagnostics and Cobas) target the N protein and another (Liaison) the S protein.
The new serological test developed by CHUV allows the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies longer after an infection, even in paucisymptomatic (with few symptoms) and asymptomatic (without symptoms) people. This is an important advancement for future population studies.
