Engineering an Ionic Aggregation-Induced Luminescence-Labeled Fluorescence Lateral Flow Immunoassay for C-Reactive...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Lateral flow immunoassays (LFAs) are crucial diagnostic tools, but their accuracy is limited by signal reporter brightness.
• Aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) offer vibrant fluorescence but face loading capacity issues in nanoparticles due to their structure.
• Improving AIEgen loading in nanoparticles is key to enhancing LFA performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel AIEgen-doped nanoparticles for improved LFAs.
• To enhance the loading capacity and fluorescence brightness of AIEgens within nanoparticles.
• To create a sensitive and rapid LFA for C-reactive protein (CRP) detection.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized ionic AIEgens with extended alkyl chains for increased hydrophobicity.
• Embedded modified AIEgens into polystyrene nanoparticles (PS) to form AIE_TPANPs.
• Conjugated anti-CRP antibody (mAb1) to AIE_TPANPs, creating AIE_TPANPs-mAb1 for LFA application.

Main Results:

• AIE_TPANPs exhibited bright orange-red fluorescence emission with high quantum yield.
• AIE_TPANPs-mAb1 showed strong fluorescence at 613 nm, detectable by the naked eye.
• The developed LFA achieved a limit of detection of 4.06 ng/mL for CRP in 10 minutes.

Conclusions:

• The novel AIE_TPANPs-mAb1 provides a sensitive and rapid signal reporter for LFAs.
• This approach overcomes AIEgen loading limitations, enhancing LFA performance.
• The developed LFA demonstrates excellent stability, specificity, and clinical diagnostic potential for CRP.