Aptasensor based on a flower-shaped silver magnetic nanocomposite enables the sensitive and label-free detection of troponin I (cTnI) by SERS

Author(s)

Alves, Raisa Siqueira ^[1] ; Sigoli, Fernando Aparecido ^[1] ; Mazali, Italo Odone ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Chem, Lab Funct Mat, POB 6154, BR-13084970 Campinas - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Nanotechnology; v. 31, n. 50 DEC 11 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is nowadays the leading death cause worldwide. For that reason, the early diagnosis of AMI is of central importance to reduce the risk of death. In this sense, aptamer-based sensors for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS aptasensors) emerged as an interesting alternative for future high-performance diagnostic tools. SERS aptasensors combine the fast, precise, and sensitive nature of SERS measurements with the selectivity of aptamers for specific biological targets. Herein, we report an efficient SERS aptasensor for the detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a gold-standard biomarker for AMI. Our SERS platform comprises a magnetite core with an intermediate silica shell, and a flower-shaped silver layer (Fe3O4@SiO2@Ag) to confer excellent plasmonic properties and ease of collection by magnetism. The branched silver structure combined with magnetic aggregation offers a high near-field amplification to superior SERS performance. Additionally, a tailored DNA aptamer with high specificity for cTnI was anchored to the silver surface to produce the aptasensor with increased sensing capability towards cTnI. With our SERS aptasensor, a cTnI concentration as low as 10 ng ml(-1)(10(-11)mol l(-1)) could be detected. This value is ten times lower than the upper threshold of the typical concentration range of cTnI of AMI patients. Hence, our SERS aptasensor holds great promise to be explored in AMI diagnosis. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/08105-7 - Highly branched Fe3O4@SiO2@Ag-Au microflowers as SERS aptasensors for troponin I analysis
• Grantee: Raisa Siqueira Alves
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 13/22127-2 - Development of novel materials strategic for integrated analytical devices
• Grantee: Lauro Tatsuo Kubota
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/50906-9 - INCT 2014: in Functional Complex Materials
• Grantee: Fernando Galembeck
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants