https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202430912009
SERS-based biosensors for the detection of human Thyroglobulin in liquid biopsies
1 Optoelectronic Division-Engineering Department, University of Sannio, 82100, Benevento, Italy
2 Centro Regionale Information Communication Technology (CeRICT Scrl), 82100 Benevento, Italy
3 Institute for Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology “Gaetano Salvatore” (IEOS), second unit, National Research Council, 80131, Napoli, Italy
4 Institute of Applied Sciences & Intelligent Systems, National Research Council, 80131, Napoli, Italy
5 Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Traslazionali, Scuola di Medicina, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, 80131, Italy
6 Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Scuola di Medicina, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, 80131, Italy
7 Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “G. Natta” (SCITEC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milano, 20133, Italy
* Corresponding author: pisco@unisannio.it; annachiara.deluca@cnr.it
Published online: 31 October 2024
Here we have developed an advanced surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platform that enables the ultrasensitive, rapid and highly specific identification of tumour biomarkers in liquid biopsies. Our focus is on the detection of Thyroglobulin (Tg), the most important tumour biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of thyroid cancer. Specifically, SERS-active substrates fabricated by nanosphere lithography on chip or on tips of optical fiber (OF) were functionalised with Tg Capture antibodies. Gold nanoparticles were functionalized with Detection antibodies and conjugated with a Raman reporter. The sandwich assay platform was validated in the planar configuration and a detection limit of only 7 pg/ml was successfully achieved. A careful morphological characterisation of the SERS substrates allowed us to strictly correlate the coverage area with the Tg concentration. The same approach was successfully demonstrated in the washout of fine needle aspiration biopsies from cancer patients. The strategy was transferred to the Lab On Fiber (LOF) SERS platform and successfully used to detect Tg concentration. The proposed SERS-enhanced immunoassay platform has proven to be highly versatile and can be used with both microfluidic chip POC devices and SERS-OF-based optrodes to perform sensitive, specific and rapid ex vivo assays for Tg detection in liquid intraoperative biopsies.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2024
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
