CRP is a molecule that is an important factor in the flaring up of many diseases of various etiologies. Although CRP has been known and used for many decades to diagnose inflammation in the body, its use as a potential biomarker in the diagnosis of other disease conditions in the body is relatively new.

CRP is a plasma protein produced in the liver and released into the bloodstream as a response of the immune system, acting as a biomarker of inflammation and infection. Its level monitoring helps to diagnose even severe conditions like trauma, sepsis, ischemic necrosis and/or malignancies.

NFC Smartphone-Based Electrochemical Microfluidic Device Integrated with Nanobody Recognition for C-Reactive ProteinClick to copy article link

Its reliability was confirmed by the precise detection of CRP in artificial serum, plasma, and whole blood samples, eliminating the need for sample pretreatment steps. Importantly, this configuration can be potentially applied to any soluble biomarker by simply exchanging the recognition element used to capture the antigens. Thus, it offers an alternative and economically accessible method for the detection of any biomarker, particularly in settings where advanced clinical equipment is lacking.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssensors.4c00249