Dual-Mode Au Nanoprobe Based on Surface Enhancement Raman Scattering and Colorimetry for Sensitive Determination of Telomerase Activity Both in Cell Extracts and in the Urine of Patients

Telomerase is a valuable biomarker, which is highly correlated to cancer diseases. However, the single-mode probe for telomerase detection cannot satisfy the challenge of detection of telomerase activity rapidly, simply with high selectivity, sensitivity, and accuracy both in preliminary diagnosis and in point of care (POC) testing. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a robust approach with controllable assembly and high accuracy to consider both the simplification of preliminary diagnosis and POC testing and the quantification requirement for early clinical diagnosis and treatment. Herein, a novel dual-mode Au NPs probe was developed for determination of telomerase activity with controllable assembly and aggregation statement based on surface enhancement Raman scattering (SERS) and colorimetry. In this strategy, an Au dimer-based probe with high uniformity was assembled successfully, telomerase activity was reflected according to the color variations of solution and the Raman intensity of Raman reporter. Taking advantage of the uniformity of Au dimers and the combination of colorimetry and SERS techniques, our strategy determined the telomerase activity with high accuracy, sensitivity, and wide range. The established probe possessed of high selectivity, sensitivity, and accuracy, which was approved as a reliable, intuitional, and convenient approach for detecting telomerase activity.