Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Immunoassays for Women’s Reproductive Health Monitoring
The efficient and non-invasive detection and monitoring of biological biomarkers is of crucial importance in terms of diagnostics and treatment. Specifically, in regard to women’s reproductive health, observing biomarker levels such as steroid and gonadotropin hormones can indicate a variety of conditions like cancer, infertility, endometriosis, etc. These hormones include progesterone, estrogen, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, to name a few. All of these play important roles in menstruation and women’s reproductive homeostasis. The development of point-of-care (POC) tests to identify hormone levels has been of increasing interest.
Kisspeptin is an emerging biomarker related to pregnancy complications. Throughout pregnancy, Kisspeptin levels drastically increase from the first to the third trimester. Women with pregnancy complications have shown decreased Kisspeptin levels. This correlation makes Kisspeptin a viable biomarker for determining the potential for miscarriage. Approximately 20% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. Experiencing a miscarriage can have detrimental effects on the physical and mental health of women. There is a need for sensitive and accurate tests to predict the potential of miscarriage. Early prediction would allow for therapeutic intervention to aid in minimizing the effects of a miscarriage.
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combines the signal enhancement from the electric field surrounding metal nanoparticles with the non-destructive, specific, and rapid nature of normal Raman spectroscopy (RS). Utilizing the sensitivity of SERS, vi this technique can be incorporated into POC tests for biomarker detection and monitoring. This work describes the development of a SERS-based immunoassay for the detection and monitoring of Kisspeptin. Additionally, the development of a SERS vertical flow immunoassay (VFIA) scaffold for biomarker detection is explained. And lastly, the construction and optimization of a portable ultrafast spontaneous Raman spectroscopic system for additional disease biomarker detection with be depicted.