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Electrochemiluminescence immunosensor for tumor markers based on biological barcode mode with conductive nanospheres
Shuping Du1, Zhiyong Guo, Beibei Chen
1Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, The State Key Laboratory Base of Novel Functional Materials and Preparation Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, PR China.
Insights
A novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor uses a biological barcode approach for sensitive tumor marker detection. This method enhances signal amplification, offering potential for clinical diagnostics of disease-related proteins.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Analytical Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Sensitive and selective detection of tumor markers is crucial for early disease diagnosis.
- Existing immunosensors face challenges in sensitivity and signal amplification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel sandwich-type electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor for highly sensitive and selective tumor marker determination.
- To utilize a biological barcode mode for enhanced signal amplification.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous immobilization of N-(4-aminobutyl)-N-ethylisoluminol (ABEI) and a secondary antibody (Ab2) on conductive nanospheres (CNSs) to create ABEI/Ab2-CNSs probes.
- Utilizing a gold layer on CNSs to extend the outer Helmholtz plane (OHP) for improved ECL signal generation.
- Employing prostate specific antigen (PSA) as a model tumor marker for performance evaluation.
Main Results:
- The developed ECL immunosensor demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity for PSA detection.
- A wide linear range from 0.04 to 10 fg/mL was achieved for PSA concentration.
- The immunosensor exhibited satisfactory specificity, stability, reproducibility, and regeneration capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The novel ECL immunosensor based on the biological barcode mode significantly enhances sensitivity by amplifying ECL signals.
- This technology holds potential for practical clinical diagnostics of tumor markers and other disease-related proteins.
Abstract:
A novel sandwich-type electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor was developed for highly sensitive and selective determination of tumor markers based on biological barcode mode. N-(4-aminobutyl)-N-ethylisoluminol (ABEI) and the second antibody (Ab2) were simultaneously immobilized on conductive nanospheres to construct ABEI/Ab2-CNSs probes, which could form sandwich immunocomplex by Ab2 and emit ECL signals by ABEI. The gold layer coated on the surface of the conductive nanospheres could extend the outer Helmholtz plane (OHP) of the ECL immunosensor effectively. Benefited from it, all ABEI molecules immobilized on conductive nanospheres would act as biological barcode to give in-situ ECL signals without interfering with the activity of the second antibody. In such a case, the sensitivity of the ECL immunosensor would be greatly improved because an antigen molecule would correspond to ECL signals of thousands of ABEI molecules. Using prostate specific antigen (PSA) as a model tumor marker, the ECL intensity was found to increase with the logarithm of PSA concentration with a wide linear range from 0.04 to 10 fg/mL. In addition, specificity, stability, reproducibility, regeneration and application were satisfactory. Therefore, this developed ECL immunosensor has a potential for practical detection of disease-related proteins besides tumor markers in the clinical diagnostics.
