For many disease states, positive outcomes are directly linked to early diagnosis, where therapeutic intervention would be most effective. Recently, trends in disease diagnosis have focused on the development of label-free sensing techniques that are sensitive to low analyte concentrations found in the physiological environment. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful vibrational spectroscopy that allows for label-free, highly sensitive, and selective detection of analytes through the amplification of localized electric fields on the surface of a plasmonic material when excited with monochromatic light. This results in enhancement of the Raman scattering signal, which allows for the detection of low concentration analytes, giving rise to the use of SERS as a diagnostic tool for disease. Here, we present a review of recent developments in the field of in vivo and in vitro SERS biosensing for a range of disease states including neurological disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and viral disease.
COVID-19 remains an ongoing issue across the globe, highlighting the need for a rapid,
selective, and accurate sensor for SARS-CoV-2 and its emerging variants. The chemical
specificity and signal amplification of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) could
be advantageous for developing a quantitative assay for SARS-CoV-2 with improved speed
and accuracy over current testing methods. Here, we have tackled the challenges
associated with SERS detection of viruses. As viruses are large, multicomponent species,
they can yield different SERS signals, but also other abundant biomolecules present in
the sample can generate undesired signals. To improve selectivity in complex biological
environments, we have employed peptides as capture probes for viral proteins and
developed an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mimetic peptide-based SERS sensor
for SARS-CoV-2. The unique vibrational signature of the spike protein bound to the
peptide-modified surface is identified and used to construct a multivariate calibration
model for quantification. The sensor demonstrates a 300 nM limit of detection and high
selectivity in the presence of excess bovine serum albumin. This work provides the basis
for designing a SERS-based assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 as well as engineering
SERS biosensors for other viruses in the future.
Detection techniques for neurotransmitters that are rapid, label-free, and non-invasive are needed to move towards earlier diagnosis of neurological disease.
In recent years, Raman spectroscopy-based methods have contributed significantly to the understanding of neurological structure, function, and disease.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.