Barcode lateral flow immunochromatographic strip for prostate acid phosphatase determination

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Immunochromatography
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Prostate acid phosphatase (PAP) is a biomarker for prostate cancer.
• Accurate and rapid detection of PAP is crucial for clinical diagnosis.
• Existing methods like ELISA can be time-consuming and require specialized equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, semiquantitative lateral flow immunochromatographic strip for prostate acid phosphatase (PAP).
• To evaluate the performance of the developed assay compared to ELISA.
• To establish a simple, cost-effective, and rapid alternative for PAP testing.

Main Methods:

• Development of a barcode-style lateral flow assay using monoclonal antibodies against PAP.
• Labeling of a monoclonal antibody to gold nanoparticles.
• Immobilization of another monoclonal antibody on a nitrocellulose membrane in a barcode fashion.
• Detection of PAP concentration based on stepwise analyte capture, visualized as ladder bars.
• Comparison of the assay results with ELISA using serum samples from 65 patients.

Main Results:

• The developed assay provides semiquantitative results for PAP in the nanogram range within 30 minutes.
• Results are visually interpretable by the naked eye or an image analyzer.
• Good agreement was observed between the novel assay and ELISA.
• The assay demonstrated simplicity, low cost, and ease of reading.

Conclusions:

• The barcode semiquantitative lateral flow immunochromatographic strip is a viable alternative for PAP testing.
• The assay's ease of use, speed, and low cost make it suitable for clinical settings.
• The platform's adaptability allows for the detection of other clinically relevant analytes by changing the specific antibodies.