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Nanodiagnostics: A New Frontier for Clinical Laboratory Medicine

¹ Department of Chemistry and Science & Technology Research Center, the American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.
² Department of Pathology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR.

^aAddress correspondence to this author at: Department of Chemistry, Science Building 310, The American University in Cairo, 113 Kasr El-Aini Street, Cairo 11511, Egypt. Fax 2-02-7957565; e-mail hazzazy{at}aucegypt.edu.

Background: The use of nanotechnologies for diagnostic applications shows great promise to meet the rigorous demands of the clinical laboratory for sensitivity and cost-effectiveness. New nanodiagnostic tools include quantum dots (QDs), gold nanoparticles, and cantilevers. QDs, which are the most promising nanostructures for diagnostic applications, are semiconductor nanocrystals characterized by high photostability, single-wavelength excitation, and size-tunable emission. QDs and magnetic nanoparticles can be used for barcoding of specific analytes. Gold and magnetic nanoparticles are key components of the bio-barcode assay, which has been proposed as a future alternative to the PCR.

Methods: We examined articles published over the past 10 years investigating the use of QDs, gold nanoparticles, cantilevers, and other nanotechnologies in promising diagnostic applications.

Results: Several nanodiagnostic assays have been developed, including a QD-based assay capable of detecting biotinylated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) at 0.38 ng/L, a bio-barcode assay capable of detecting 30 amol/L PSA in a 10-µL sample, and another able to detect 50 molecules of the Alzheimer marker amyloid ß-derived diffusible ligand in 10 µL of cerebrospinal fluid.

Conclusions: Nanodiagnostics promise increased sensitivity, multiplexing capabilities, and reduced cost for many diagnostic applications as well as intracellular imaging. Further work is needed to fully optimize these diagnostic nanotechnologies for clinical laboratory setting and to address the potential health and environmental risks related to QDs.

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