SPEAR: A Homogeneous Immunoassay Merging Protein Quantification with the Sensitivity, Simplicity, and Scalability of Nucleic Acid Testing Paradigms​

Neuroscience technology is advancing with SPEAR. Research into phospho Tau 217 (pTau 217) and other critical biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease are key topics in this video featuring Spear Bio CEO and Co-founder Feng Xuan, PhD. Dr. Xuan  explains the development of SPEAR technology, how it fundamentally differs from other ultra-sensitive immunoassay platforms, and the key differences that make SPEAR ideally-suited to study low-abundant blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders.

Advancements in neuroscience technology allow full quantification of phospho Tau 217 and other critical trace proteins

Developed to overcome the limitations of conventional proximity extension assays, SPEAR technology excels at quantifying historically challenging biomarkers like plasma phospho Tau 217.

SPEAR (Successive Proximity Extension Amplification Reaction) is an ultra-sensitive protein biomarker detection breakthrough. Unlike conventional immunoassays, which struggle to detect ultra-low-abundance proteins like phospho Tau 217, due to the lack of natural amplification mechanisms, SPEAR overcomes these limitations by leveraging a novel two-step extension reaction.

Traditional methods such as ELISA, ECLIA, and digital ELISA, have evolved to increase sensitivity but require complex workflows and depend heavily on high-affinity antibodies. SPEAR enhances sensitivity while maintaining specificity by employing a unique DNA probe mechanism and two-factor authentication that significantly reduces background signal.

With a simple workflow, reduced dependency on antibody affinity, and exceptional reproducibility, SPEAR is poised to transform clinical and longitudinal studies.