A Dual-Hue Recognizable Lateral Flow Immunoassay Corresponding to Distinct Sensitivity Ranges for Timely and...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Oncology

Background:

• Early cancer detection is crucial for reducing mortality.
• Current screening methods face challenges balancing accuracy and simplicity.
• Prostate cancer screening relies on biomarkers like prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid, quantitative, and user-friendly immunoassay for prostate cancer biomarkers.
• To enable precise detection of total PSA (t-PSA) and free PSA (f-PSA).
• To address the limitations of existing diagnostic tools for point-of-care applications.

Main Methods:

• Development of a dual-hue recognizable lateral flow immunoassay (DHLFIA).
• Integration of dual-ratiometric fluorescence transitions for distinct hue recognition pathways (green-to-red, blue-to-red).
• Theoretical and experimental elucidation of the inner filter effect governing color responsiveness.

Main Results:

• The DHLFIA achieved precise quantification of t-PSA and f-PSA.
• A dual-hue strategy enabled visual discrimination of the PSA 'gray zone' (4-10 ng/mL).
• Smartphone-based analysis of the f-PSA/t-PSA ratio provided accurate risk stratification, achieving 96.7% diagnostic accuracy in clinical samples.

Conclusions:

• The DHLFIA offers a generalizable framework for multiplexed, point-of-care diagnostics.
• This technology provides a rapid, user-friendly alternative to conventional assays.
• The developed platform enhances early cancer screening efficiency and accuracy.