Rapid and sensitive detection of Epstein-Barr virus antibodies in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by chemiluminescence strips based on iron-porphyrin single atom nanozyme

The correlation between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) risk has been extensively researched. The continual monitoring of EBV-IgAs provides a promising approach of NPC screening in its early stage. In this study, we successfully synthesized a single-atom nanozyme (SANzyme) through the application of iron-porphyrin based metal organic framework (MOF-FeP). The MOF-FeP possesses precisely-defined electronic and geometric structures that accurately mimic highly-evolved catalytic site of natural peroxidase. The peroxidase-like activity of MOF-FeP enables it to catalyze the chemiluminescence of luminol substrate. By integrating MOF-FeP into a traditional strip, we created a rapid and highly-sensitive evaluation tool for detecting EBV-IgAs. Importantly, the MOF-FeP strip enables the simultaneous detection of three EBV-IgAs, greatly improving the accuracy of EBV-associated NPC screening. The sensitivities of the MOF-FeP strip (75.56%–93.30%) surpass those of current enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods (64.44%–82.22%). This test takes only 16 min to perform as opposed to the customary 1–2 h required for standard ELISA. Additionally, the MOF-FeP strip is suitable for whole blood samples, thereby significantly simplifying the sample preparation and detection process. In conclusion, the MOF-FeP strip combines the simplicity of traditional strip with the high catalytic activity of SANzyme. Our innovative MOF-FeP strip offers a new point-of-care strategy for EBV-IgAs detection, which is expected to markedly facilitate early screening for EBV-associated diseases.