Study of the interaction between IL-10 and anti-IL-10 antibody by AFM:towards an antibody nanoarray.

The need for detecting protein biomarkers coming from extremely small samples (biopsies, laser capture microdissections, forensic microspecimens) or cell lysates and surnatants of few cells has led to the flourishing of techniques with molecular sensitivity and the miniaturization of analytical systems. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is capable to detect the formation of individual bi-molecular complexes, like DNA-protein and protein-protein systems, taking place on top of properly functionalized nanoscale arrays. In this context we present an AFM-based protocol probing the specific interaction between IL 10, an important immune-regulatory cytokine, and anti IL 10 antibody.