Research Projects

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant tumor arising in the bile duct of epithelial cells, a prevalent digestive system neoplasm in adults with a high mortality rate. In Asia, over 80 cases were found in 100,000 populations, with surgical procedures being the most valuable treatment. Early diagnosis is challenging due to nonspecific clinical symptoms and the overall 5-year survival frequency of CCA patients being less than 10%. Diagnosis of CCA is difficult due to tumor location, size, and desmoplastic characteristics. Current imaging techniques like magnetic resonance, ultrasound, and CT are often difficult, and endoscopic techniques are inadequate due to the desmoplastic nature of CCA. To overcome these limitations, a colorimetric detection assay using Pd@SiO2 core/shell nanoparticles-based immunoassay is proposed. Biomarkers-based detection of CCA is promising, as it advances over imaging techniques and bile cytology. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) are commonly used for CCA diagnosis. The proposed method involves anti-CA 19-9 biomarker antibody as primary antibody and secondary antibody conjugated with Pd@SiO2 core/shell nanoparticles, binding with another side of CA 19-9 biomarker. Pd@SiO2 core/shell nanoparticles show excellent peroxidase-mimetic activity, making it a simple, instrument-free, and non-stringent assay suitable for point-of-care usage. This simple assay is sensitive, instrument-free, and requires less samples than naked-eye diagnosis.

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