DNA origami signal amplification in lateral flow immunoassays

Abstract Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) enable a rapid detection of analytes in a simple, paper-based test format. Despite their multiple advantages, such as low cost and ease of use, their low sensitivity compared to laboratory-based testing limits their use in e.g. many critical point-of-care a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Heini Ijäs, Julian Trommler, Linh Nguyen, Stefan van Rest, Philipp C. Nickels, Tim Liedl, Maximilian J. Urban
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57385-6
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Summary:Abstract Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) enable a rapid detection of analytes in a simple, paper-based test format. Despite their multiple advantages, such as low cost and ease of use, their low sensitivity compared to laboratory-based testing limits their use in e.g. many critical point-of-care applications. Here, we present a DNA origami-based signal amplification technology for LFIAs. DNA origami is used as a molecularly precise adapter to connect detection antibodies to tailored numbers of signal-generating labels. As a proof of concept, we apply the DNA origami signal amplification in a sandwich-based LFIA for the detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in human serum. We show a 55-fold improvement of the assay sensitivity with 40-nm gold nanoparticle labels and an adjustable signal amplification of up to 125-fold with fluorescent dyes. The technology is compatible with a wide range of existing analytes, labels, and sample matrices, and presents a modular approach for improving the sensitivity and reliability of lateral flow testing.
ISSN:2041-1723