NY-ESO-1 antigen-antibody interaction process based on an TFBG plasmonic sensor

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Biosensing Technology
• Cancer Diagnostics

Background:

• Autoantibodies against New York esophageal squamous cell cancer 1 (NY-ESO-1) are vital biomarkers for esophageal cancer diagnosis.
• Immunoassays can yield false negatives at high antibody concentrations due to the hook effect.
• Developing sensitive and reliable detection methods for NY-ESO-1 antibodies is crucial for clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and characterize a surface plasmonic tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) biosensor for detecting NY-ESO-1 antibodies.
• To investigate the hook effect in the context of NY-ESO-1 antigen-antibody interactions using the developed biosensor.
• To evaluate the biosensor's performance, including its limit of detection, linearity, and repeatability for potential esophageal cancer diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an 18° TFBG coated with a 50-nm gold film, functionalized with NY-ESO-1 antigens.
• Utilizing the TFBG biosensor for label-free detection of NY-ESO-1 antibodies in a sample.
• Investigating biomolecular binding kinetics and the hook effect at varying antibody concentrations.

Main Results:

• The biosensor achieved a limit of detection of 2 × 10^-7 µg/ml for NY-ESO-1 antibodies.
• Linear detection was observed in the concentration range of 2 × 10^-7 to 2 × 10^-5 µg/ml.
• The hook effect was observed at concentrations above 2 × 10^-3 µg/ml, reducing sensor performance.
• The biosensor demonstrated good repeatability and a fast response time.

Conclusions:

• The proposed TFBG biosensor offers a sensitive, label-free, and compact platform for NY-ESO-1 antibody detection.
• The study successfully investigated the hook effect in NY-ESO-1 antigen-antibody binding using the developed biosensor.
• This technology holds significant potential for improving the diagnosis of esophageal cancer.