Highly stable SERS-based mirrored aptasensor for selective detection of alpha-fetoprotein.

An aptasensor was developed based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) using a mirror aptamer. AFP triggered and altered SERS signaling molecules through the release recognition mechanism as they are released. Two signaling molecules, cyanine 3 (Cy3) and 2-mercaptobenzimidazole-5-carboxylic acid (MBIA), were used to quantify AFP. The results showed that AFP could be reliably and sensitively detected in the concentration range 0.0038–100 ng/mL (R2 = 0.9907), with a minimum detection limit of 3.8 pg/mL. The sensor can be used for AFP detection in cancer patient serum samples. This quantitative SERS technology provides a promising tool for biomedical research and clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]