Highly Sensitive Aptamer-Functionalized Liquid-Crystal-Based Sensor for C-Reactive Protein Detection

초록

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a well-established acute-phase protein (APP) present in biological fluids. Its concentration fluctuates in response to various pathological conditions, including infections, trauma, certain cancers, and physiological stress. However, conventional CRP detection methods often require complex instrumentation and time-consuming procedures, highlighting the need for simple and rapid detection strategies. In this study, we introduce a liquid-crystal (LC)-based aptasensor that can accurately and rapidly detect CRP in human serum. CRP-aptamer complex formation upon the binding of CRP to the aptamer-functionalized substrate disrupts the dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride (DMOAP)-induced homeotropic alignment of the LC. The change in LC orientation can be intuitively observed under polarized optical microscopy (POM), with the brightness of the optical image increasing proportionally with the CRP concentration. The detection limit of the LC-based sensor was 1.429 pg/mL, indicating enhanced sensitivity compared with that of previously reported CRP detection methods. Recovery tests with human serum samples yielded high percentages, ranging from 95.8 +/- 0.87% to 104.5 +/- 1.94%, demonstrating the high potential of this LC-based sensor for application in clinical diagnostic assays.

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