Nano-Labeled Materials as Detection Tags for Signal Amplification in Immunochromatographic Assay: A Review

Abstract

The immunochromatographic assay (ICA) was widely used in rapid detection in many fields due to its advantages such as economy, simplicity, sensitivity, and specificity all the time. Like fluorescence, colored, magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) have become the most commonly used signal tags in ICA. As an ancient detection technology, improving the analytical sensitivity of ICA has always been the hot topic for scholars. However, its superiority in many booming rapid testing methods have become relatively weaker. But, after the outbreak of the epidemic in 2020, many researchers successively reported on the immunological assay of the epidemic, and the nucleic acid testing and vaccination are also being carried out across the country to ensure personal safety, which made this ancient test method favoured by experts and scholars again. This means that the ICA is still one of the most rapid and economical detection methods when faced with suddenly virus disasters.

Keywords: Immunochromatographic assay, Luminescent nanoparticles, Magnetic nanoparticles, Colored nanoparticles, Complex nanomaterials, Signal amplification