Enzyme-free and rapid colorimetric analysis of osteopontin via triple-helix aptamer probe coupled with catalytic...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Biomarker Detection
• Biosensor Technology

Background:

• Osteopontin (OPN) is a key biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression.
• Accurate detection of low-abundance OPN is challenging due to limitations of current methods.
• Need for simple, rapid, and sensitive diagnostic tools for HCC is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, enzyme-free, colorimetric biosensor for OPN detection.
• To achieve rapid and highly sensitive quantification of OPN in biological samples.
• To provide a cost-effective alternative for HCC diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• Integration of triple-helix aptamer probe (THAP) and catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) strategy.
• Development of a portable colorimetric biosensor (T-CHA) for visual, label-free detection.
• Quantification via optical density measurement at 650 nm.

Main Results:

• The T-CHA sensor achieved a detection limit of 2.04 pg mL⁻¹ for OPN.
• Linearity was observed for OPN concentrations from 5 pg mL⁻¹ to 5 ng mL⁻¹.
• The T-CHA method is rapid (∼105 min), sensitive, and cost-effective compared to ELISA.

Conclusions:

• The T-CHA strategy offers a promising approach for early HCC diagnosis.
• Successful application in OPN detection in plasma demonstrates clinical potential.
• The T-CHA platform is adaptable for detecting other tumor biomarkers.