A Redox-Probe-Free Immunosensor Based on Electrocatalytic Prussian Blue Nanostructured Film One-Step-Prepared for Zika Virus Diagnosis

Abstract

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a great concern for global health due to its high transmission, including disseminating through blood, saliva, urine, semen and vertical transmission. In some cases, ZIKV has been associated with microcephaly, neurological disorders, and Guillain–Barré syndrome. There is no vaccine, and controlling the disease is a challenge, especially with the co-circulation of the Dengue virus, which causes a severe cross-reaction due to the similarity between the two arboviruses. Considering that electrochemical immunosensors are well-established, sensitive, and practical tools for diagnosis, in this study we developed a sensor platform with intrinsic redox activity that facilitates measurement readouts. Prussian blue (PB) has a great ability to form electrocatalytic surfaces, dispensing redox probe solutions in voltammetric measurements. Herein, PB was incorporated into a chitosan–carbon nanotube hybrid, forming a nanocomposite that was drop-casted on a screen-printed electrode (SPE). The immunosensor detected the envelope protein of ZIKV in a linear range of 0.25 to 1.75 µg/mL (n = 8, p < 0.01), with a 0.20 µg/mL limit of detection. The developed immunosensor represents a new method for electrochemical measurements without additional redox probe solutions, and it is feasible for application in point-of-care diagnosis.

Production of Recombinant Zika Virus Envelope Protein by Airlift Bioreactor as a New Subunit Vaccine Platform

“…In addition, paired testing of acute phase and convalescence samples to show seroconversion compared to the standard Plaque Reduction Neutralization Tests (PRNT) is therefore a common procedure that can significantly increase the sensitivity to validate this assay. Envelope domain III has also been shown to be highly sensitive and specific for ZIKV diagnosis [ 62 ], while other domains, like NS1, have been used for ZIKV diagnosis [ 63 , 64 ] and some sensitive biosensors platforms have been developed also for ZIKV diagnosis [ 65 ].…”

Electrochemical protein biosensors for disease marker detection: progress and opportunities

“…Zika virus (ZIKV) is a virus with a high transmission rate in the tropical regions of Asia, the Americas, and Africa. In addition to being transmitted by A. aegypti mosquitoes, ZIKV can be transmitted through saliva, urine, and other routes, which makes its prevention and control more difficult 78 . Therefore, there is an urgent need for ZIKV detection techniques.…”

Development of disposable electrode for the detection of mosquito‐borne viruses

“…The translation to POC device by functionalizing screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) are established using conductive polymer as a base matrix to improve sensor conductivity, [31] then biorecognition molecule to capture the target analyte, [32] or noble nanoparticles (NPs) to increase the loading of immobilized biorecognition molecule. [33][34][35] Our previous study successfully developed an electrochemical impedimetric biosensor by functionalizing gold-polyaniline nanocomposites (AuNP-PAni) and nitrogen, sulfur co-doped graphene quantum dots (N,S-GQDs) in the surface of the gold electrode. [36] However, variation of the ultrasmall AuNP and S atom concentration in a different batch of synthesis, which are responsible for binding towards the antibody bound N,S-GQDs, makes the system inconsistency sometimes.…”