Magnetic immunoassay for cancer biomarker detection based on surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering from coupled plasmonic nanostructures

A surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) sensor was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of cancer biomarkers. Capture antibody-coated silver shell magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@Ag MNPs) were utilized as the CEA enrichment platform and the SERRS signal amplification substrate. Gold nanorods (AuNRs) were coated with a thin silver shell to be in resonance with the resonant Raman dye diethylthiatricarbocyanine iodide (DTTC) and the excitation wavelength at 785 nm. The silver-coated AuNRs (Au@Ag NRs) were then modified with detection antibody as the SERRS tags. Sandwich immune complexes formed in the presence of the target biomarker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and this formation induced the plasmonic coupling between the Au@Ag NRs and Fe₃O₄@Ag MNPs. The SERRS signal of DTTC molecules located in the coupled plasmonic nanostructures was significantly enhanced. As a result, the proposed SERRS sensor was able to detect CEA with a low limit of detection of 4.75 fg/mL and a wide dynamic linear range from 10 fg/mL to 100 ng/mL. The sensor provides a novel SERRS strategy for trace analyte detection and has a potential for clinical applications.