Paper-based immunosensor with signal amplification by enzyme-labeled anti-p16INK4a multifunctionalized gold nanoparticles for cervical cancer screening

The multifunctionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were designed for both antigen capture and signal readout all in one particle. AuNPs were conjugated with anti p16INK4a antibody labeled with HRP enzyme. The immune reaction to a specific antibody and the biomarkers extracted from cervical cells formed an immune complex that was deposited onto the nitrocellulose reaction pad. A positive signal was generated by the TMB substrate reacting with the HRP peroxidase enzyme, and shown as a blue-colored dot on the membrane. The clinical performance study demonstrated the ability of multifunctional AuNPs to detect p16INK4a in precancer and cancer cells.151