There have been ongoing efforts to develop more sensitive and fast quantitative screening of cancer markers by use of fluorometric immunochromatographic test strips (ICTS) since the remarkable advances in fluorescent nanomaterials. Semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) have recently emerged as a new type of biocompatible fluorescent probe with extraordinary brightness which is suitable for biological and clinical use. Here, we developed Pdot-based ICTS for quantitative rapid screening of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), α-fetoprotein (AFP), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in 10 min. Through use of the ultrahigh fluorescence brightness of Pdots, this immunosensor enabled much better detection sensitivity (2.05, 3.30, and 4.92 pg/mL for PSA, AFP, and CEA, respectively), in which the detection limit is at least 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of conventional fluorometric ICTS. Furthermore, we performed proof-of-concept experiments for simultaneous determination of multiple tumor markers in a single test strip. These results demonstrated that this Pdot-based ICTS platform is a promising candidate for developing new generations of point-of-care diagnostics. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of Pdot-based ICTS with multiplexing capability.
There have been enormous efforts for developing the next
generations
of fluorometric lateral flow immunochromatographic strip (ICTS) owing
to the great advances in fluorescent materials in these years. Here
we developed one type of fluorometric ICTS based on ultrabright semiconducting
polymer dots (Pdots) in which the traffic light-like signals were
created by energy transfer depending on the target concentration.
This platform was successfully applied for qualitatively rapid screening
and quantitatively precise analysis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
in 10 min from merely one drop of the whole blood sample. This FRET-created
traffic light ICTS possesses excellent specificity and an outstanding
detection sensitivity of 0.32 ng/mL for PSA. Moreover, we conducted
proof-of-concept experiments to demonstrate its potential for multiplexed
detection of cancer biomarkers at the same time in an individual test
strip by taking advantage of the traffic light signals. To the best
of our knowledge, it is the first model of a traffic light-like immunoassay
test strip based on Pdots with multiplexing ability. These results
would pave an avenue for designing the next generation of point-of-care
diagnostics.
A multi-functional eletrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) imaging analyzer including both a photomultiplier tube and charged coupled device as detectors has been developed. The ECL imaging analyzer can effectively work for electrochemical study, ECL intensity detection at electrode array, and ECL imaging at bipolar electrodes or electrode array. As an ECL imaging example, an ECL biosensor for visual detection of matrix metalloproteinase 7 in the range from 0.05 to 1 ng/mL is demonstrated.
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