A reusable localized surface plasmon resonance biosensor for quantitative detection of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen in cervical cancer patients based on silver nanoparticles array

Abstract

Qianying Zhao,1 Ruiqi Duan,1 Jialing Yuan,1 Yi Quan,1 Huan Yang,2 Mingrong Xi1 1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, 2State Key Laboratory of Optical Technologies for Micro-fabrication, Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Science, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China Abstract: Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCa), as a tumor biomarker, plays an important role in adjuvant diagnosis, treatment evaluation, and prognosis prediction for cervical cancer patients. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) technique based on noble metal nanoparticles bypasses the disadvantages of traditional testing strategies, in terms of free-labeling, short assay time, good sensitivity, and selectivity. Herein, we develop a novel and reusable LSPR biosensor for the detection of SCCa. First, a triangle-shaped silver nanoparticle array was fabricated using the nanosphere lithography method. Next, we investigated and verified the feasibility of amino coupling method using 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) to form a functionalized chip surface with monoclonal anti-SCCa antibodies on the silver nanoparticles for distinct detection of SCCa. Different concentrations of SCCa were successfully tested in both buffer and human serum by the ultrasensitive and specific LSPR system, with a linear quantitative detection range of 0.1–1,000 pM under optimal conditions. With appropriate regeneration solution, for example 50 mM glycine-HCl (pH 2.0), the LSPR biosensor featured effective fabrication reproducibility, which reduced both production cost and testing time. Our study represents the first application of the LSPR biosensor in cervical cancer, and demonstrates that the rapid, simple, and reusable nanochip can serve as a potential alternative for clinical serological diagnosis of SCCa in cervical cancer patients. Keywords: localized surface plasmon resonance, nanotechnology, biosensor, cervical cancer biomarker, squamous cell carcinoma antigen