Abstract

Prostate cancer is one of the male killing diseases and early detection of prostate cancer is the key  for better treatment and lower cost. However, the number of prostate cancer cells is low at the  early stage, so it is very challenging to detect. In this study, we successfully designed and developed  upconversion immune-nanohybrids (UINBs) with sustainable stability in a physiological environment,  stable optical properties and highly specific targeting capability for early-stage prostate cancer cell  detection. The developed UINBs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray  diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS)  and luminescence spectroscopy. The targeting function of the biotinylated antibody nanohybrids  were confirmed by immunofluorescence assay and western blot analysis. The UINB system is able to  specifically detect prostate cancer cells with stable and background-free luminescent signals for highly  sensitive prostate cancer cell detection. This work demonstrates a versatile strategy to develop UCNPs  based sustainably stable UINBs for sensitive diseased cell detection.