Nanoparticle-Based LDI-MS Immunoassay for the Multiple Diagnosis of Viral Infections

Abstract

Many serious public health emergencies around the globe are caused by viral epidemics. Thus, developing a reliable method for viral screening is in high demand. Multiplex assays for simultaneous detection and fast screening of high-risk pathogens are especially needed. This study employs metal nanoparticles to generate specific mass spectral signals for different RNA viruses, which enables simultaneous detection of whole viruses by laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). We developed a nanoparticle-based sandwich immunosorbent assay as a sensing platform for the detection of viruses and viral nonstructural protein by LDI-MS. Cellulose acetate membrane (CAM) serves as the substrate for the fabrication of the sandwich immunosorbent assay with the advantages of clean mass spectra and high enrichment of analytes. Antibody-modified metal nanoparticles (Ab− MNPs; M = Au or Ag) act as metallic biocodes for the LDI-MS detection. The signal amplification readout for the virus is through the pulsed laser-induced formation of metal cluster ions ([M n ] + ; n = 1−3) from the Ab−MNPs which specifically bind on the CAM. Our sensing system is effective for the detection of intact viruses [Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)], nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of Zika virus (ZIKV), EV71-spiked human serum samples, and the simultaneous detection of EV71 and ZIKV. Our probe efficiently detects EV71 in real clinical serum samples with >95% agreement with RT-qPCR results. This high-throughput LDI-MS viral detection system is simple, reliable, and high-throughput. We believe this platform has the potential to be employed for the routine screening of patients with viral infections.

Nanomaterials for virus sensing and tracking

“…Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), just like AuNPs, are noble metal nanoparticles that are commonly employed for virus sensing. 79,165,239,[340][341][342][343][344][345] Analogous to AuNPs, the optical properties, color, and sensing behavior of AgNPs are dependent on particle dimensions due to LSPR. 170 However, AgNPs are more cost-effective as well as electroactive and have a higher extinction coefficient.…”

Novel pathway for the sonochemical synthesis of silver nanoparticles with near-spherical shape and high stability in aqueous media

“…Most of these applications benefit from the intrinsic physicochemical properties that AgNPs exhibit at the nanoscale: where particle size 2 , size distribution 3 and shape 4 are the predominant dimensional properties to establish the design and type of application of these nanomaterials. An imperative need to improve the applicability of AgNPs in new advanced technologies in the field of plasmonic devices 5 and nanoelectronic devices construction 6 , as well as to develop new applications of medical devices and biomedical therapies for relevant diseases such as certain types of cancer 7 , virus infections 8 and pathogens, among others.…”

Black Mesoporous TiO2 Nanoparticles for Enhancing Surface Assisted Laser Desorption and Ionization in Mass Spectrum Analysis

“…[ 1,2 ] Compared with matrix assisted laser desorption and ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI‐MS), the SALDI‐MS method not only minimizes background interference in the low mass range, but also overcomes the poor repeatability of different places in sample. [ 3–5 ] Importantly, SALDI‐MS has prominent merits such as high salt tolerance, [ 6 ] fast analysis, [ 7,8 ] and simple sample preparation, [ 9 ] which promote the application in the study of drug metabolism, [ 10 ] discovery of disease biomarkers, [ 11–14 ] forensics, [ 15 ] and environmental pollution. [ 16 ] In the past 20 years, various nanomaterials including mental, mental oxide, silicon, and hybrid structure material were used as matrix for SALDI‐MS or mass spectrometry imaging.…”