The SPEAR UltraDetect™ Nf-L Biomarker Assay Kit enables quantification of neurofilament light with ultra-high precision, minimal sample volume, and a straightforward, wash-free workflow.
The assay requires the SPEAR UltraDetect™ Reaction Kit and is intended for research purposes only.
A universal biomarker for neuronal injury across neurological disorders
Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL) is a blood-based biomarker used to detect neuronal injury and axonal damage in various neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Positron emission tomography (PET) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis have shown that NfL correlates with amyloid pathology and neurodegenerative processes in AD. The biomarker is also used to indicate neuronal injury in multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and stroke.
Unparalleled precision with SPEAR UltraDetect Nf-L
The Spear UltraDetect Nf-L shows high precision and sensitivity by measuring all healthy samples above fLLOQ with very low inter-plate and intra-plate coefficient of variation (CV). These performance metrics are essential for researchers in immunoassay processes to detect small changes in multi-year longitudinal studies.
For clinical trial researchers, the performance metrics provide added benefits in pharmacodynamics and enrichment studies.
A performance study with disease patient samples and healthy controls showed that the SPEAR UltraDetect Nf-L assay quantified 100 % of patient samples and achieved a mean CV of 3.2 %.
![SPEAR UltraDetect Nf-L assay precision [1 µL diluted sample].](https://www.news-medical.net/images/equipments/ImageForEquipment_7607_17706404520816884.png)
SPEAR UltraDetect Nf-L assay precision [1 µL diluted sample]. Image Credit: Spear Bio
![SPEAR UltraDetect Nf-L sample quantifiability (> LLOQ) [1 µL diluted sample].](https://www.news-medical.net/images/equipments/ImageForEquipment_7607_17706404598985765.png)
SPEAR UltraDetect Nf-L sample quantifiability (> LLOQ) [1 µL diluted sample]. Image Credit: Spear Bio
Download the Datasheet for More Information
Assay specifications
Source: Spear Bio
| . |
. |
| MRD |
4X |
| Diluted Sample Volume |
1 µL |
| Raw Sample Volume to Machine |
10 µL |
| LOD (pg/mL) |
0.024 |
| fLLOQ (pg/mL) |
0.500 |
| Spike-recovery (% recovery) |
95 % |
| Linearity (% recovery) |
97 % |
| Intra-plate CV (AVG %) |
3.2 % |
| Inter-plate CV (AVG %) |
5.4 % |
| EDTA Plasma Quantifiability |
100 % |
Precision for CNS research
Supporting research on neurological and neurodegenerative diseases
Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a structural intermediate filament protein that belongs to a triplet system, along with neurofilament medium (125 kDa) and neurofilament heavy (200 kDa) chains. With a molecular weight of about 68 kDa, NfL is the most abundant and soluble member of this group and is present in neurons, especially in large-caliber axons.
NfL is released into biofluids when axonal damage occurs, such as in multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Its release is predominantly into the CSF, while in the blood, it is released at a lower concentration. CSF analysis is the common method for measuring NfL.
However, blood-based detection is more scalable and less invasive, thereby opening opportunities for use in population-level and longitudinal research.
The SPEAR UltraDetect™ Nf-L biomarker assay kit is developed to support serum and plasma-based studies of:
- Onset of neurological disease and monitoring of its progression
- Drug development for the protection of axons
- Progressive neurodegenerative diseases
- Validating and stratifying biomarkers in multiple study cohorts
Across samples, across studies
Recommended for research across sample types and settings
The NfL biomarker assay kit is developed for Research Use Only (RUO) and is optimized for use with serum or plasma samples. It is compatible with qPCR instrumentation and requires minimal sample input. Hence, the assay is used in both targeted biomarker validation and high-throughput screening studies. Its performance characteristics make it ideal for:
- Longitudinal tracking of neurological disease progression
- Multi-target analysis strategy, including GFAP and phosphorylated tau variants
- Clinical research programs for axonal injury and repair
- Early-phase intervention studies in MS, ALS, or mild cognitive impairment
High performance, low complexity
Designed for performance without operational burden
The SPEAR platform was designed to eliminate the challenges associated with ultrasensitive protein detection. Compared to traditional or digital ELISA technologies that use a heterogeneous workflow dependent on solid-surface binding, or other analysis methods that require specialized readout instruments, SPEAR uses a wash-free, homogeneous format to simplify the workflow.
Its dual-authentication mechanism verifies every analyte signal twice. This ensures high resolution even at lower detection limits. Low CVs and attomolar sensitivity enable SPEAR to deliver consistent results across validation, clinical, discovery, and translational applications.