An immune sandwich assay of carcinoembryonic antigen based on the joint use of upconversion phosphors and magnetic beads

We herein report a sensitive and selective immunosensor for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) based on the joint use of upconversion phosphors (UCPs) and magnetic beads (MBs). UCPs as the signal probe were designed with a core–shell structure which provided a 40-fold enhancement of the luminescence intensity. Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-modified UCPs were covalently conjugated with the anti-CEA antibody (coating), and streptavidin functionalized magnetic beads were combined with another biotin-tagged anti-CEA antibody. With the assistance of a magnet, the as-formed immune sandwich in the presence of CEA can be readily separated from the assay matrix. The immunosensor showed a linear dynamic range for CEA within 0.05–20 ng mL−1 in a buffered aqueous solution, and 0.1–20 ng mL−1 in a human serum sample. The sensor was highly specific to CEA. Our results have suggested the potential application of the UCP-MB based immunoassay for CEA in clinical analysis.