Geometrically encoded SERS nanobarcodes for the logical detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma-related progression biomarkers

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 3430 - 16
• Main Authors: Lin, Duo, Hsieh, Chang-Lin, Hsu, Keng-Chia, Liao, Pei-Hsuan, Qiu, Sufang, Gong, Tianxun, Yong, Ken-Tye, Feng, Shangyuan, Kong, Kien Voon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 08.06.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 140/133; 631/61/350/59; 639/638/11/872; 639/638/45; 96/10; Arrays; Biomarkers; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Biomarkers, Tumor - chemistry; Biosensing Techniques - methods; Blood; Cancer; Carbonyl compounds; Carbonyls; Differentiation; Disease Progression; Humanities and Social Sciences; Matrix Metalloproteinases - blood; Matrix Metalloproteinases - chemistry; Metal carbonyls; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; Metals; multidisciplinary; Multiplexing; Nanogels - chemistry; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma - blood; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma - diagnosis; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma - pathology; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - blood; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - pathology; Organometallic Compounds - chemistry; Physicians; Raman spectra; Raman spectroscopy; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sensitivity and Specificity; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Surface Properties; Tags; Temporal resolution; Throat cancer
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23789-3

The limited availability of nasopharyngeal carcinoma-related progression biomarker array kits that offer physicians comprehensive information is disadvantageous for monitoring cancer progression. To develop a biomarker array kit, systematic identification and differentiation of a large number of distinct molecular surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) reporters with high spectral temporal resolution is a major challenge. To address this unmet need, we use the chemistry of metal carbonyls to construct a series of unique SERS reporters with the potential to provide logical and highly multiplex information during testing. In this study, we report that geometric control over metal carbonyls on nanotags can produce 14 distinct barcodes that can be decoded unambiguously using commercial Raman spectroscopy. These metal carbonyl nanobarcodes are tested on human blood samples and show strong sensitivity (0.07 ng/mL limit of detection, average CV of 6.1% and >92% degree of recovery) and multiplexing capabilities for MMPs. SERS assays have potential for multiplexed detection of biomarkers but differentiation of SERS tags remains a challenge. Here, the authors report the creation of 14 distinct geometrically controlled metal carbonyl tags and demonstrate multiplexed detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma biomarkers from patient blood.