High-Sensitive Detection and Quantitative Analysis of Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Using Gold-Nanoshell-Based Lateral...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Assay Development

Background:

• Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are traditional signal reporters in colorimetric lateral flow immunoassays (LFAs).
• Improving LFA sensitivity is challenging due to the limited brightness of AuNPs.
• Novel signal reporters are needed to enhance detection capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive LFA using gold nanoshells (AuNSs) as signal reporters.
• To engineer AuNSs with increased surface area and brightness compared to AuNPs.
• To demonstrate the utility of AuNS-based LFA for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) detection.

Main Methods:

• Engineered 150 nm gold nanoshells (AuNSs) by coating low-density silica nanoparticles with gold.
• Developed a colorimetric lateral flow immunoassay utilizing AuNSs as labels.
• Validated the assay for detecting thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in a proof-of-concept study.

Main Results:

• AuNSs exhibited 14x larger surface area and 35x greater brightness than AuNPs.
• The AuNS-based LFA achieved a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.16 µIU/mL for TSH.
• This represents a 26-fold increase in sensitivity compared to conventional AuNP-based LFAs.
• The assay demonstrated a dynamic range of 0.16–9.5 µIU/mL, enabling diagnosis of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Conclusions:

• Gold nanoshells offer a significant advancement over gold nanoparticles for LFA signal reporting.
• The developed AuNS-based LFA provides highly sensitive and accurate TSH detection.
• This technology holds strong potential for early screening and diagnosis of thyroid-related diseases.