In the field of medical diagnostics, the identification and measurement of biomarkers have become essential tools for early disease detection and treatment monitoring.

Within DeDNAed, Le Mans Université (France) and the research centre TECNALIA Research & Innovation (Spain) focus their research on the detection of interleukin-6, a cytokine which can be used to monitor various human diseases and treatment responses. Conventional assays, such as ELISAs, are time-consuming and require large sample volumes. Therefore, the development of a fast, sensitive and selective detection method is critical.

Researchers from DeDNAed proposed a sensing method based on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (#SERS), a technique that emerges as a promising alternative for the highly sensitive IL-6 detection.

They developed a label-free SERS immunoassay, achieving an impressive limit of detection of 0.91 pg mL−1 (0.04 pM), ten times lower than ELISA. Moreover, this label-free approach offers a simple, and fast (~90 min) assay for direct IL-6 monitoring.

This study, “Label-free SERS for rapid identification of interleukin 6 based on intrinsic SERS fingerprint of antibody‑gold nanoparticles conjugate,” published in December 2023 in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, showcased the collaborative success between the University of Le Mans and the research centre TECNALIA thanks to authors Marjan Majdinasab, Aicha Azziz, Qiqian Liu, Verónica Mora-Sanz, Nerea Briz, Mathieu Edely and Marc Lamy de la Chapelle.

Read the publication here.