"Lighting-up" curcumin nanoparticles triggered by pH for developing improved enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Area of Science:

• Biomarker Detection
• Nanotechnology in Diagnostics
• Precision Medicine

Background:

• Ideal drug delivery systems (DDS) require high loading capacity and stimuli-triggered release.
• Signal labels in enhanced enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) benefit from these DDS characteristics.
• Curcumin nanoparticles (CUR NPs) offer potential as advanced signal labels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride)-capped curcumin nanoparticles (PDDA@CUR NPs) as signal labels.
• To develop a dual-model colorimetric and fluorescence ELISA for C-reactive protein (CRP) detection.
• To evaluate the sensitivity, reliability, and ease-of-use of the developed assay.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of PDDA@CUR NPs with high curcumin loading capacity.
• Utilizing curcumin's stimuli-responsive "lighting-up" effect (aggregation-induced quenching to fluorescence restoration in basic water).
• Application of PDDA@CUR NPs as signal labels in a dual-modal ELISA for CRP detection.

Main Results:

• PDDA@CUR NPs demonstrated a high loading capacity.
• The assay exhibited a dual-model colorimetric and fluorescent signal readout triggered by basic water.
• The developed ELISA showed good sensitivity, reliability, and ease-of-use for CRP detection.

Conclusions:

• PDDA@CUR NPs serve as effective signal labels for dual-modal ELISA.
• This method provides an innovative approach for precise protein biomarker identification and quantification.
• The "lighting-up" CUR NPs-based ELISA offers a promising tool for precision medicine applications.