Bioanalytical advances in assays for C-reactive protein

• This review presents bioanalytical advances in assays for human C-reactive protein.
• The pathophysiological role and clinical significance of CRP is provided.
• Analytical performance of standard assays in clinical settings.
• Advanced CRP assay formats with high performance and multiplexing are described.
• Analytical aspect of CRP is discussed along with future prospects for POC testing.

This review presents advances in assays for human C-reactive protein (CRP), the most important biomarker of infection and inflammation for a plethora of diseases and pathophysiological conditions. Routine assays in clinical settings are based on analyzers, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and lateral flow assays. However, assays encompassing novel sensing schemes, improved chemistry, signal enhancement, lab-on-a-chip, microfluidics and smartphone detection, have emerged in recent years. The incorporation of immune-transducing chips or sensing interfaces with nanomaterials enables multiplexing analysis of CRP with co-existing biomarkers. However, there are still considerable challenges in the development of rapid diagnostics for both pentameric and monomeric CRP forms.