Integrated magneto-plasmonic nanostructures-based immunoassay for galectin-3 detection

abstract

Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of global mortality, highlighting the need for accurate diagnostic tools and the detection of specific cardiac biomarkers. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has proved to be a promising alternative diagnostic tool to detect relevant biomarkers compared to traditional methods. To our knowledge, SERS methodology has never been used to detect galectin-3 (Gal-3), a crucial biomarker for cardiovascular conditions. Our study aimed to develop plasmonic and magneto-plasmonic nanoplatforms for the sensitive immunodetection of Gal-3 using SERS. Spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized and functionalized with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUDA) to enable antibody binding and 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MBA) that served as a Raman reporter due to its intense Raman signal. Following bioconjugation with Gal-3 antibody, the AuNPs were employed in the immunodetection of Gal-3 in phosphate-buffer saline (PBS) solution, offering a limit of detection (LOD) of 12.2 ng mL-1 and a working range up to 120 ng mL-1. Furthermore, our SERS-based immunosystem demonstrated selectivity for Gal-3 (40 ng mL-1) in the presence of other biomolecules such as alpha-amylase, bovine serum albumin and human C-reactive protein. As a proof of concept, we developed magneto-plasmonic nanoparticles composed of silica-coated magnetite decorated with the bioconjugated AuNPs aimed at enhancing the uptake and detection of Gal-3 via SERS coupled with Raman imaging. Our findings underscore the potential of SERS-based techniques for the sensitive and specific detection of biomarkers, holding significant implications for improved diagnosis and surveillance of cardiovascular diseases. Future research will focus on further optimizing these nanoplatforms and their translation into clinical settings. A sensitive and selective method for detecting galectin-3 using bioconjugated plasmonic and magneto-plasmonic structures via SERS was developed.

keywords

FUNCTIONALIZED GOLD NANOPARTICLES; ENHANCED RAMAN-SCATTERING; CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE; HEART-FAILURE; SERS; NANOPROBES; AUTOIMMUNE; DIAGNOSIS; BEHAVIOR; MB

subject category

Chemistry; Food Science & Technology; Spectroscopy

authors

Fateixa, S; Martins, ALF; Colaco, B; Antonio, M; Daniel-da-Silva, AL

Groups

G1 - Porous Materials and Nanosystems

Projects

Bionanocompósitos magnéticos para a remoção de micropoluentes e reutilização da água (BIOMAG)

CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020)

CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDP/50011/2020)

Associated Laboratory CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (LA/P/0006/2020)

acknowledgements

This work is financed by Portugal 2020 through European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the frame of CENTRO2020 in the scope of the project BIOMAG, CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-181268 and was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 (DOI 10.54499/UIDB/50011/2020), UIDP/50011/2020 (DOI 10.54499/UIDP/50011/2020) & LA/P/0006/2020 (DOI 10.54499/LA/P/0006/2020), financed by national funds through the FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC). S.F. thanks FCT for her research contract (REF-069-88-ARH-2018), which is funded by national funds (OE) through FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the scope of the framework contract foreseen in the numbers 4, 5, and 6 of the article 23, of the Decree-Law 57/2016, of August 29, changed by Law 57/2017, of July 19. ALD-d-S acknowledges FCT for funding (CEECIND/03075/2018/CP1559/CT0020; DOI 10.54499/CEECIND/03075/2018/CP1559/CT0020). M. A. thanks FCT for the PhD grants (SFRH/BD/136881/2018; COVID/BD/152911/2023).