Gold nanostructure-enhanced immunosensing: ultra-sensitive detection of VEGF tumor marker for early disease diagnosis

Sci Rep. 2024 May 7;14(1):10450. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-60447-2.

Abstract

We present an advanced electrochemical immunosensor designed to detect the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) precisely. The sensor is constructed on a modified porous gold electrode through a fabrication process involving the deposition of silver and gold on an FTO substrate. Employing thermal annealing and a de-alloying process, the silver is eliminated from the electrode, producing a reproducible porous gold substrate. Utilizing a well-defined protocol, we immobilize the heavy-chain (VHH) antibody against VEGF on the gold substrate, facilitating VEGF detection through various electrochemical methods. Remarkably, this immunosensor performs well, featuring an impressive detection limit of 0.05 pg/mL and an extensive linear range from 0.1 pg/mL to 0.1 µg/mL. This emphasizes it's to measure biomarkers across a wide concentration spectrum precisely. The robust fabrication methodology in this research underscores its potential for widespread application, offering enhanced precision, reproducibility, and remarkable detection capabilities for the developed immunosensor.

Keywords: Biomarker measurement; Electrochemical immunosensor; Fabrication methodology; Porous gold electrode; VEGF detection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor* / analysis
  • Biosensing Techniques* / methods
  • Early Detection of Cancer / methods
  • Electrochemical Techniques / methods
  • Gold* / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Immunoassay / methods
  • Limit of Detection
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Nanostructures / chemistry
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A* / analysis

Substances

  • Gold
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • VEGFA protein, human