Hairpin aptamer and ROS-sensitive microcapsule-mediated glycoprotein determination for the prognosis of colorectal cancer

A novel glycoprotein assay was developed by integrating the hairpin aptamer (H-APT)–mediated glycoprotein recognition and the reactive oxygen species–sensitive microcapsule (ROS-MC)–induced signal amplification. The analyzing process begins with the transfer of the target glycoprotein to a chlorin e6 (Ce6)–labeled DNA sequence via H-APT-mediated DNA displacement. Subsequently, the Ce6-labeled DNA was used to induce the disassembly of fluorophore-loaded ROS-MC under 650-nm light irradiation. Leveraging the rapid release of the fluorophore and the high loading capacity of the MC, this glycoprotein assay is capable of quantifying glycoprotein content in native biofluids within 2.5 h, achieving a detection limit of 0.034 ng/mL. We applied this assay to determine the glycoprotein composition in plasma samples of colorectal cancer patients, revealing a significant increase in glycoprotein content for those with a poor prognosis. In summary, we have developed an innovative method for glycoprotein determination that shows potential for clinical translation.