Diagnosis of rubella virus using antigen-conjugated Au@Pt nanorods as nanozyme probe

BACKGROUND: As nanotechnology advances rapidly, the nanozymes which could replace protein enzymes in bioanalytical assays bring a new opportunity to the development of simple and sensitive diagnostic tools. PURPOSE: Antibody-conjugated Au-Pt core/shell nanorods (Au@Pt NRs) have been used for nanozyme probes for diagnosis of rubella virus. Au@Pt NRs, prepared by Au nanorod-mediated growth, exhibit peroxidase-like activities and could serve as an inexpensive replacement for horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in conjugation of antigen. METHOD: Using a capture enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay for the determination of rubella virus. RESULTS: Compared with antibody-conjugated HRP, the antigen-conjugated Au@Pt NRs are more stable and more robust, but less expensive. Based on the enhanced catalytic properties of this nanozyme probe, it was found that the antigen-conjugated Au@Pt NRs-based enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay exhibited good sensitivity. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that these antigen-conjugated Au@Pt NRs represent a suitable nanozyme probe for future clinical applications under various conditions.