Advanced bioanalytical platforms play a critical role in drug discovery and development. Today, innovative assay methodologies are transforming drug discovery and development through enhanced specificity, sensitivity, and multiplexing capacities. Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) is one such advanced electrochemiluminescence-based assay platform that has evolved as a primary choice in analytical and pharmaceutical studies.
MSD assays combine electrochemiluminescent detection with multi-array technology to offer superior performance and analytical capabilities. The ability to simultaneously detect and analyze multiple analytes is one of the primary reasons why MSD assays are now a preferred choice among researchers. This article explores the advantages of MSD assays and use cases.
MSD assay technology and advantages
MSD Assays are similar to ELISA except they employ electrochemiluminescence detection instead of the colorimetric reaction used in ELISA assays. MSD assays have multiple advantages over conventional ELISA assays, such as:
- Better dynamic range
- Multiplexing capacities
- Higher sensitivity
- Fewer samples required
- Ability to scale up
- Fewer matrix effects
Similar to ELISA, MSD assays have many variations. Sandwich ELISA is one such assay where the target analyte is captured between two antibodies. A similar approach can be employed in MSD assays. However, there are several critical differences in MSD methodologies that translate into enhanced sensitivity and dynamic range. In the sandwich MSD assay, the capture antibody in an MSD well is attached to an electrode instead of plastic. Besides, the secondary antibody is attached to a ruthenium metal ion. Once the secondary antibody binds to the target analyte, the ruthenium ion triggers a reaction that produces a light signal.
Other common ELISA types include bridging, direct, and indirect assays. All these formats can also be used with MSD technology. For direct MSD assays, the electrode-bound antigen and RU metal ion-bound primary antibody are used to detect the target analyte. On the other hand, indirect assays use a secondary antibody in addition to a primary one to detect the antigen of interest.
Bridging assays are preferred when the target molecule is another antibody. For example, bridging MSD assays are employed to determine whether patients produce antibodies against an antibody drug conjugate or a therapeutic antibody. Bridging MSD assays for these studies requires the antibody to be plate-bound either via a biotin-streptavidin conjugate or directly to the plate. If patient-induced antibodies bind to the therapeutic, a bridge is formed between the electrode-bound therapeutic antibody, the detection antibody, and the patient’s antibody.
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Cytokine analysis and multiplexing capabilities
Multiplexing is the ability to assess multiple analytes within the same assay well and run. This capacity is one of the primary advantages of the MSD platform over conventional ELISA assays. In MSD assays, a molecule that produces a light signal is attached at a specific location in the plate. Hence, researchers can place multiple capture antibodies at diverse locations in a single assay well. The CCD camera present in MSD instruments can identify up to ten locations, allowing the simultaneous detection and quantification of ten analytes using the same sample.
Multiplexing has several advantages. Firstly, multiplex assays are an efficient approach to evaluate multiple analytes in a single assay volume. A single MSD multiplex assay can potentially replace ten conventional ELISA assays. Additionally, multiplex MSD assays running ten analytes simultaneously will require 50 times less sample volume compared to traditional ELISA assays. The use of small sample volumes and efficiency improvements has made several companies switch to MSD multiplex assays for analyzing clinical samples.
Today, MSD cytokine assays have emerged as vital methodologies for comprehensive drug profiling. These assay systems enable detailed characterization of immune system modulation and inflammatory responses. MSD cytokine multiplex assays can simultaneously quantify several immune signaling proteins, growth factors, and inflammatory mediators. These comprehensive capabilities make MSD cytokine assays ideal for efficacy assessment, mechanism of action studies, and cytokine profiling in safety evaluations. MSD cytokine assays provide high throughput and rapid analysis with minimal sample requirement. However, standardized panels and custom development will be needed to support research applications across different verticals. Such approaches ensure MSD cytokine assays enable thorough immune response profiling necessary for understanding biological mechanisms and determining safety and efficacy signals.
MSD assay technology offers unique multiplexing products. V-plex MSD assays are multiplexing kits with validated plates that have capture antibodies in the assay well. U-plex assays are innovative systems that allow researchers to design their multiplex panels by selecting antibodies that may not be available through V-plex product lines. In conclusion, the MSD assay product line includes several options for developing multiplex panels for all research and development applications.
Conclusion
MSD assay technology is an advanced testing system driving innovation in drug development applications and pharmaceutical bioanalysis. MSD multiplex ELISA offers comprehensive biomarker profiling and enhanced analytical performance. Moreover, specialized laboratories offering MSD assay services support innovative therapeutic development from the preclinical discovery phase through regulatory approval processes. Understanding the potential of MSD assays in specialized applications such as PK and TK studies will remain critical for enhancing drug development efficiency and supporting regulatory timelines through high-quality data.
