Often received comments that the principles of the recently completed PepTenChip® system, a novel bio-detection method invented by the HiPep Laboratories, is not well understandable. This brochure addresses those concerns to be clarified.
[1] A microarray-based novel bio-detection system, designated PepTenChip®
HiPep Laboratories have been focusing on R & D of exploration and applications of bio-recognition. Utilizing HiPep Lab’s core technology, PepTenChip® has recently been completed, in which four key technologies were indispensable. Those are de novo designed labeled structured peptides as capturing molecules, novel chip substrates made from amorphous carbon, array-technologies; a detector which is maintenance free & on-site use, PepTenCam. Due to issues with sensitivity and reproducibility caused by immobilization, most previous protein-chip developments have failed, instead, antibody-based assays, such as ELISA, have been the mainstream. However, the innovative bio-detection system by us operates on a principle entirely different from conventional ELISA-like detection, which relies on 1:1 correspondence between capture molecules and targets and no-similar methods have been envisaged. [1][2]
[2] Measurement Principle of the PepTenChip® System
The PepTenChip® system does not require so-called MARKERS, such as disease responsible molecules. That is, the use of this system has enabled diagnostic testing not relying on known molecules as markers. Recognition causes structural changes of by the analyte and is reflected in dose-dependent manner in fluorescence intensity changes with and without analytes. That is, measurements are performed before incubation and after incubation of analytes. These changes can be visualized as a pattern designated a “Protein Fingerprint”. Datamining is carried out by statistical analyses such as multivariate analyses; thus, the discovery of undefined materials related to diseases can be realized. Due to the immobilization chemistry and characteristics of chip-substrate PepTenChip® is reusable rather than disposable, offering a highly cost-effective and environmentally friendly testing method. [2]
[3] Clinical applications
The PepTenChip® system is a medical device offering non-invasive testing platform that utilizes body fluids collected at the time of diagnosis as analytes. By utilizing this system, clinicians can obtain objective results that do not rely on personal experience or skill, enabling real-time, on-site (point-of-care testing). By collaboration with clinical specialists, advanced applications using this system have been performed: (1) Oral-healthcare focusing on periodontal disease [3]; (2) Classification of precancerous lesions (pre-symptomatic states) for early detection of gastric cancer using gastric juice [4], and (3) Testing and pathological classification of multiple sclerosis (Designated Intractable Disease 13 in Japan)—a rare neurological disorder—and its related diseases using cerebrospinal fluid. [publication in preparation]
References
[1] Tominaga, Y., Hirata, A., and Nokihara, K. (2015) Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 25, 611-615.
[2] Tominaga, Y. and Nokihara , K. (2025) Anal. Meth. (Royal Society of Chemistry), 17, 4590-4598
[3] Tominaga, Y., Usui, K., Hirata, A., Ito, H. and Nokihara, K. (2018) Bioorg. Med. Chem., 26, 3210-3216.
[4] Tominaga, Y., Wu, X., Wei, M., and Nokihara. K. (2026) J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 268, 117210.