Visual Detection of Dengue-1 RNA Using Gold Nanoparticle-Based Lateral Flow Biosensor

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Infectious Disease Diagnostics

Background:

• Dengue is a significant global health threat, necessitating rapid and accurate diagnostic methods.
• Early detection of dengue virus is critical for effective patient management and public health surveillance.
• Current diagnostic methods may have limitations in resource-constrained environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a visual, colorimetric lateral flow biosensor (LFB) for detecting dengue-1 RNA.
• To utilize dextrin-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a labeling agent for enhanced detection.
• To establish a rapid and accessible diagnostic platform for dengue virus.

Main Methods:

• Development of a nucleic acid sandwich hybridization assay on a nitrocellulose membrane.
• Immobilization of dengue-1 specific DNA capture probes.
• Labeling of DNA reporter probes with dextrin-capped AuNPs for visual signal generation.
• Optimization of the biosensor with synthetic dengue-1 target and validation with pooled human sera.

Main Results:

• The optimized biosensor achieved a cut-off value of 0.01 µM for synthetic dengue-1 target.
• Detection of dengue-1 virus in pooled human sera with a cut-off value of 1.2 × 10^4 pfu/mL.
• Integration with nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) allowed detection within 20 minutes.
• Successful demonstration of dextrin-capped AuNPs as effective labels in lateral flow assays.

Conclusions:

• The developed colorimetric LFB provides a promising tool for the visual detection of dengue-1 RNA.
• This biosensor demonstrates potential for early dengue diagnosis in resource-limited settings.
• The study highlights the novelty of using dextrin-capped AuNPs for lateral flow assays.