Multiplex Assay of Cytokines with Tunable Detection Ranges for the Precise Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Precise profiling of the cytokine panel consisting of different levels of cytokines can provide personalized information about several diseases at certain stages. In this study, we have designed and fabricated an "all-in-one" diagnostic tool kit to bioassay multiple inflammatory cytokines ranging from picograms per milliliter to μg/mL in a small cytokine panel. Taking advantage of the kit fabricated by the DNA-encoded assembly of nanocatalysts in dynamic regulation and signal amplification, we have demonstrated the multiplex, visual, and quantitative detection of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) with limits of detection of 1.6 ng/mL (61.54 pM), 20 pg/mL (1.57 pM), and 4 pg/mL (0.19 pM), respectively. This diagnostic tool kit can work well with commercial kits for detecting serum cytokines from breast cancer patients treated with immunotherapies. Furthermore, a small cytokine panel composed of CRP, PCT, and IL-6 is revealed to be significantly heterogeneous in each patient and highly dynamic for different treatment courses, showing promise as a panel of quantitative biomarker candidates for individual treatments. So, our work may provide a versatile diagnostic tool kit for the visual detection of clinical biomarkers with an adjustable broad detection range.