Hollow core photonic crystal fiber-assisted Raman spectroscopy as a tool for the detection of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.

ABSTRACT: SIGNIFICANCE:Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible and progressive disorder that damages brain cells and impairs the cognitive abilities of the affected. Developing a sensitive and cost-effective method to detect Alzheimer's biomarkers appears vital in both a diagnostic and therapeutic perspective. AIM:Our goal is to develop a sensitive and reliable tool for detection of amyloid ? (1-42) peptide (A?42), a major AD biomarker, using fiber-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (FERS). APPROACH:A hollow core photonic crystal fiber (HCPCF) was integrated with a conventional Raman spectroscopic setup to perform FERS measurements. FERS was then coupled with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to further amplify the Raman signal thanks to a combined FERS-SERS assay. RESULTS:A minimum 20-fold enhancement of the Raman signal of A?42 as compared to a conventional Raman spectroscopy scheme was observed using the HCPCF-based light delivery system. The signal was further boosted by decorating the fiber core with gold bipyramids generating an additional SERS effect, resulting in an overall 200 times amplification. CONCLUSIONS:The results demonstrate that the use of an HCPCF-based platform can provide sharp and intense Raman signals of A?42, in turn paving the way toward the development of a sensitive label-free detection tool for early diagnosis of AD.

SUBMITTER: Eravuchira P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7330420 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature