Dual nanozyme sensor enables rapid at-home cancer surveillance.

Journal: Talanta
Published Date: May 9, 2025

Abstract

Early detection of cancer is critical for improving patient survival rates, and current in vitro diagnostic methods show great potential, particularly for point-of-care applications. However, challenges such as time consumption, high costs, and reliance on sophisticated equipment limit their widespread use, especially in resource-limited regions. Here, we have developed a smartphone-assisted miniaturized analytic device that addresses these limitations, offering a portable, cost-effective solution for at-home, rapid cancer screening. Employing a hybrid nanozyme (AuNP@CuO-His) with a dual absorption design, this device enables reference-free radiometric quantification of multiple cancer biomarkers in serum down to femtomolar levels using aptamer-based recognition. Specifically, it achieves limits of detection (LOD) of 18.75 pg/mL for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), 110.31 pg/mL for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and 42.89 pg/mL for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), as determined by the 3σ/K method. Clinical sample analysis confirms the reliability of the device, with results closely matching clinical reports (relative errors below 6%). These findings highlight the potential of this robust, portable platform for early cancer detection in both clinical and resource-limited settings, enabling convenient and effective point-of-care diagnostics.

Authors

  • Pandeng Miao
    Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325001, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education), China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
  • Hongzhen Peng
    Institute of Materiobiology, College of Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China.
  • Xinmin Zhao
    Terahertz Technology Innovation Research Institute, Terahertz Spectrum and Imaging Technology Cooperative Innovation Center, Shanghai Key Lab of Modern Optical System, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China.
  • Feng Zhang
    Institute of Food Safety, Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, Beijing 100176, China; Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety for State Market Regulation, Beijing 100176, China. Electronic address: fengzhang@126.com.
  • Liping Wang
    School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200011, China.
  • Lihua Wang
    Division of Physical Biology & Bioimaging Center, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, CAS Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.
  • Xuewen Jin
    Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The People's Hospital of Yuhuan, Yuhuan, Zhejiang, 317600, China. Electronic address: jxw045@163.com.

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