DNA-assisted protein detection technologies

Improved protein assays promise to offer new insights into biological processes as well as the identification of new, clinically important biomarkers. In recent years, a number of approaches have been developed where protein-binding reagents, typically antibodies, are equipped with DNA strands to enable protein analyses via powerful nucleic acid detection reactions for improved performance. In this review, we provide a background to this emerging field, and we describe several different ways in which these reagents can improve protein analyses by lowering detection thresholds, improving multiplexing and extending the range of biomolecules available for analysis, both in research settings and in clinical routine.