Biosensors; noninvasive method in detection of C-reactive protein (CRP)

Abstract

Early diagnosis of C reactive protein (CRP) is critical to applying effective therapies for related diseases. Diagnostic technology in today's healthcare systems is mostly deployed in central laboratories, involves expensive and time-consuming processes, and is operated by specialized personnel. For example, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), considered the gold standard diagnostic method, is labor-intensive and requires complex procedures such as multiple washing and labeling steps. Due to these limitations of current diagnostic techniques, it is difficult for people to regularly monitor their health and ultimately the disease is more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage. The problem is exacerbated for economically disadvantaged people living in underdeveloped countries. To address these challenges in the traditional diagnostic field, point-of-care (POC) biosensors have emerged as a promising alternative. This allows patients to have their health checked regularly at or near their bedside without resorting to laboratory tests. Nanotechnology-based methods such as biosensors have been extensively researched and developed. Among biosensors, there are also label-free biosensors with high sensitivity that do not require complicated procedures and reduce test time. However, some drawbacks such as high cost, bulky size and need for trained personnel to operate have not been improved. In this review article, we provide an overview of routine methods in CRP diagnosis and then introduce biosensors as a modern, advanced alternative to older methods. Readers of this article can learn about biosensing and its benefits while being aware of the limitations of routine methods.

Graphical abstract