Immunological assay using a solid-state pore with a low limit of detection

Sci Rep. 2024 Jul 19;14(1):16686. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-67112-8.

Abstract

Emerging infectious diseases, cancer, and other diseases are quickly tested mainly via immune reactions based on specific molecular recognition between antigens and antibodies. By changing the diameter of solid-state pores, biomolecules of various sizes can be rapidly detected at the single-molecule level. The combination of immunoreactions and solid-state pores paves the way for an efficient testing method with high specificity and sensitivity. The challenge in developing this method is achieving quantitative analysis using solid-state pores. Here, we demonstrate a method with a low limit of detection for testing tumor markers using a combination of immunoreactions and solid-state pore technology. Quantitative analysis of the mixing ratio of two and three beads with different diameters was achieved with an error rate of up to 4.7%. The hybrid solid-state pore and immunoreaction methods with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and anti-PSA antibody-modified beads achieved a detection limit of 24.9 fM PSA in 30 min. The hybrid solid-state pore and immunoreaction enabled the rapid development of easy-to-use tests with lower limit of detection and greater throughput than commercially available immunoassay for point-of-care testing.

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay / methods
  • Limit of Detection*
  • Male
  • Porosity
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen* / analysis
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen* / immunology

Substances

  • Prostate-Specific Antigen
  • Biomarkers, Tumor