Method for detecting the presence of a pathogen in a biological fluid

Abstract

Kit for the detection of a pathogen, in particular SARS-CoV-2, by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) comprising a lysis buffer, non-magnetic metal nanoparticles and software designed to detect the presence of said virus in said sample and detection method implementing it.

Description

Title of the invention: Method for detecting the presence of a pathogenic agent in a biological fluid Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a kit for detecting the presence of a pathogenic agent by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), the use of said kit associated with a method for detecting the presence of a pathogenic agent by SERS. This rapid and reproducible method has high sensitivity and specificity. The field of the invention is more particularly that of detecting the presence of a pathogenic agent in a biological fluid. State of the prior art

[0002] Various pathogens, including viruses, are responsible each year for many common human diseases, such as upper respiratory infections (rhinitis, pharyngitis), influenza, gastrointestinal infections, and viral infections of early childhood such as chickenpox, measles, and mumps. Some viral diseases have significant morbidity or mortality, such as hemorrhagic fevers (EBOLA virus, Yellow fever virus), viral encephalitis (rabies virus, Dengue virus, herpes simplex virus, poliovirus), and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Measles and cytomegalovirus can cause serious abnormalities or death in unborn children. Of the estimated 1,000 to 1,500 types of viruses, approximately 250 cause disease in humans.Several human viruses such as Epstein Barr virus, papillomaviruses, and hepatitis B and C viruses have also been associated with the development of cancers.

[0003] Appearing in China at the end of 2019, Covid-19 disease is a severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2, a virus belonging to the coronavirus family. These very common viruses can cause a simple cold as well as a lower respiratory tract infection such as pneumonia, causing deadly epidemics such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV in 2003), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV in 2012), and now Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2).

[0004] Current viral diagnostic methods involve (i) either the search for the viral particle or one of its components (viral antigens, viral genome or an enzymatic property of a viral protein) and corresponds to direct diagnosis; this search uses rapid detection tests for antigens or molecular biology techniques for the genome (PCR or RT-PCR depending on the nature of the DNA or RNA genome) (ü) or the search for the host response to viruses corresponding to the detection of antibodies specific to the virus sought. This research is mainly carried out by immunochemical techniques, most often automated, such as ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). The search for the viral genome, which is a sensitive and specific technique widely deployed, however requires heavy and expensive equipment and is often time-consuming.

[0005] Currently, for SARS-CoV-2, only a molecular biology test by RT-PCR on a nasopharyngeal sample can confirm a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

[0006] Numerous serological tests are being deployed and validated targeting the Spike surface proteins of the virus, making it possible to demonstrate the presence or absence of IgG, IgM or IgA immunoglobulins depending on the kits.

[0007] Raman spectroscopy is a non-invasive chemical analysis method. It is a vibrational spectroscopy like infrared (IR) spectroscopy that provides simultaneous characterization of the chemical composition of a material, its environment or even its oxidation state. It is a low-sensitivity technique but its low sensitivity has been compensated by the introduction of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). This methodology is based on the use of substrates with nanostructures or decorated with gold or silver nanoparticles. The free electrons of the metal oscillate in these nanostructures at plasmon resonance (LSPR), giving rise to a strong localized amplification of the Raman signal of nearby compounds, up to 1012, allowing the detection of single molecules.

[0008] A major problem is the intrinsic interfacial nature of SERS, which requires molecules to adsorb onto rough metal surfaces. For biological molecules such as peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids, surface-enhanced Raman data are particularly difficult to obtain, difficult to interpret, and nearly impossible to reproduce.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need to provide a reliable and rapid detection method for detecting viruses, in particular SARS-Cov-2.

[0010] However, the inventors have shown that non-magnetic metallic nanoparticles in suspension make it possible to easily and quickly obtain Raman data that is easy to interpret and reproducible.

[0011] The aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a kit for the detection of a pathogen by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), its use and a method for the detection of a pathogen by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Statement of the invention

[0012] The present invention therefore relates to a kit for detecting the presence of a pathogen in a sample by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), said kit comprising a lysis buffer, non-magnetic metal nanoparticles or a mixture of non-magnetic metal nanoparticles of a first metal and non-magnetic nanoparticles of a second metal, the nanoparticles of the first metal being different from the nanoparticles of the second metal and software designed to detect the presence of said pathogen in said sample.

[0013] According to the invention, the lysis buffer may be any buffer known to those skilled in the art capable of solubilizing the proteins of pathogenic agents such as the capsid for viruses, membrane or envelope proteins for bacteria or viruses and of releasing the RNA or DNA from the sample. This buffer must be compatible with the SERS technique. Examples that may be mentioned are lysis buffers based on Tris, EDTA, HEPES or SDS.

[0014] According to the invention, the sample may be chosen from blood, plasma, saliva, tears, nasopharyngeal fluid, sweat, urine, lymph, cerebrospinal fluid, human or animal tissue or human or animal cells. The sample may also be any liquid such as tap or river water or water used to rinse a surface likely to be contaminated.

[0015] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pathogenic agent that is detected is chosen from the group comprising viruses, prions, bacteria, parasites and fragments of all these pathogens. The pathogenic agent is in particular SARS-CoV-2.

[0016] Examples of viruses include single-stranded or mono-stranded RNA viruses, double-stranded or bi-stranded RNA viruses, retroviruses, single-stranded DNA viruses, double-stranded DNA viruses, as defined by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) found at the following link: https: / / talk.ictvonline.org / ictv-reports / ictv_online_report /

[0017] Examples of prions include transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), such as various forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia (FFI), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSSS) and Kuru in humans and animals, scrapie in sheep and goats, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

[0018] Among the parasites, we can cite as an example the parasites of the genus Plasmodium, responsible for malaria, Sarcocysts, protozoa such as Toxoplasma gondii, responsible for toxoplasmosis.

[0019] Among the bacteria, we can cite as examples, obligatory pathogenic bacteria such as Corynebacterium diphtheriae, the agent of diphtheria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis which causes tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae responsible for leprosy; accidental pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium tetani responsible for tetanus and Vibrio cholerae which causes cholera; opportunistic pathogenic bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Staphylococci of the skin flora.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the non-magnetic metal nanoparticles have an average diameter of between 50 and 200 nm (including 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200 nm), advantageously of between 100 and 200 nm (including 100, 150 and 200 nm), even more advantageously of between 100 and 150 nm (including 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150 nm).

[0021] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the non-magnetic metal nanoparticles are nanoparticles of gold, silver, copper or an alloy based on one of these metals. In the case of mixtures of nanoparticles, the non-magnetic metal nanoparticles of the first metal are gold nanoparticles and the non-magnetic metal nanoparticles of the second metal are silver nanoparticles.

[0022] According to the invention, the nanoparticles substantially comprise a single metal but may also comprise binary alloys of the main metal which constitutes them.

[0023] These nanoparticles are commercially available in the form of solutions or colloidal suspension.

[0024] According to the invention, in the case of mixtures, the ratio between the two types of nanoparticles is between 5 / 95 and 95 / 5 and advantageously between 40 / 60 and 60 / 40, in particular 50 / 50. Thus, there may be in the mixture 5% of gold particles and 95% of silver nanoparticles expressed by mass relative to the total mass of nanoparticles or 95% of gold particles and 5% of silver nanoparticles expressed by mass relative to the mass of nanoparticles. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the mixture contains 50% by mass of gold nanoparticles and 50% by mass of silver nanoparticles expressed by mass relative to the total mass of nanoparticles.

[0025] In the kit according to the invention, the solution or suspension of lysis buffer containing the nanoparticles or the mixture of non-magnetic nanoparticles of a first metal and non-magnetic nanoparticles of a second metal, the nanoparticles of the first metal being different from the nanoparticles of the second metal, may be presented in a container which may be for example a test tube equipped with a closure system or a bottle equipped with a closure system, or a conical tube equipped with a closure system such as for example an Eppendorf® type tube.

[0026] The present invention also relates to the use of a kit according to the invention comprising a lysis buffer and non-magnetic metal nanoparticles or a mixture of non-magnetic nanoparticles of a first metal and non-magnetic nanoparticles of a second metal, the nanoparticles of the first metal being different from the nanoparticles of the second metal, and software designed to detect the presence of a pathogen in a sample by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

[0027] The present application also relates to a method for detecting the presence of a pathogen in a sample likely to contain it by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), said method comprising a) bringing said sample into contact with non-magnetic metal nanoparticles or with a mixture of non-magnetic nanoparticles of a first metal and non-magnetic nanoparticles of a second metal, the nanoparticles of the first metal being different from the nanoparticles of the second metal to obtain a solution or a suspension and the lysis solution? b) depositing said solution or said suspension on a support and c) detecting the SERS signals emitted by said pathogen and its constituents, the signals indicating the presence of said pathogen in the sample.

[0028] All steps a) to c) are carried out at room temperature.

[0029] This detection method makes it possible to detect the presence of an infection due to a pathogen and to distinguish in a population sick individuals, carriers of the pathogen and called positive individuals from healthy individuals, not carriers of the pathogen and called negative individuals. When the individual has an infection but does not present symptoms of disease then the detection of the presence of the pathogen will be predictive of a risk of developing the disease.

[0030] The method according to the invention can be used to monitor the progress of an antimicrobial therapy in an active or latent infection in an individual. A decrease in the amount of pathogen and / or an increase in this amount indicates whether the therapy is effective or not.

[0031] The method according to the invention can be used to evaluate the efficacy of known anti-pathogen drugs or vaccines or to test the efficacy of potential new anti-microbial drugs or vaccines. A reduction in the quantity of the pathogen and / or an increase in this quantity indicates whether the therapy is effective or not.

[0032] In a first embodiment of the method according to the invention, a volume of sample to be tested of approximately 10 to 200 microliters is added to approximately 10 to 2000 microliters of a solution or suspension of lysis buffer containing non-magnetic metal nanoparticles or a mixture of non-magnetic nanoparticles of a first metal and non-magnetic nanoparticles of a second metal, the nanoparticles of the first metal being different from the nanoparticles of the second metal. After homogenization by successive pipetting (no need for vortexing), a deposit is made on an aluminum support or a material covered with aluminum foil. The support can be any type of support commonly used for SERS. In this embodiment, the sample is simultaneously brought into contact with the non-magnetic metal nanoparticles and with the lysis buffer.

[0033] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the sample to be tested is brought into contact with the lysis buffer and then mixed with a pellet of nanoparticles obtained by centrifugation of a colloidal suspension of non-magnetic metal nanoparticles as defined above. After homogenization by stirring, a deposit is carried out on an aluminum support or on a material covered with an aluminum foil. The support can be any type of support commonly used for SERS.

[0034] To obtain the nanoparticle pellet, the mixture of nanoparticles as defined previously is centrifuged under conditions known to those skilled in the art, for example at a centrifugation speed of 1500 to 18,000 g for a time of between 1 and 30 minutes.

[0035] In accordance with the invention in the two embodiments described above, the deposit is dried under conventional conditions known to those skilled in the art.

[0036] According to the invention, any suitable Raman spectrometer system known in the art and commercially available.

[0037] Detection devices, such as optical detectors, radiation sources and computer systems, microprocessors and computer software and algorithms, may be used in any combination to practice the method of the invention. Accordingly, in some embodiments, software or other computer-readable instructions may be used to interpret, analyze, compile or otherwise analyze output data. The software or other computer system may be used to display, store or transmit output data, whether in digital or other form, to one or more users.

[0038] For a given pathogen, the selection of wavelengths is carried out by any technique known to those skilled in the art or described in the literature, in particular by means of an algorithm as described by Marois M. et al. (J. Of Biomedical Optics, (2018), 23(7), 071202) or by Chen Y. et al. (Molecules (2019) 24, 421) or by Luke GP et al. (Photoacoustics, (2013), 1(2), 36-42).

[0039] This method makes it possible to measure the SERS spectra of different pathogens. Each pathogen can be detected because it has a unique SERS spectrum that is significantly different, and therefore distinguishable, from the SERS spectra of other pathogens. Thus, pathogens, particularly viruses, have a unique SERS "fingerprint" that makes it possible to distinguish a particular biomolecule of interest or combination of biomolecules from other biomolecules or background media.

[0040] Typically in the presence of inactivated pathogen or in the absence of pathogen, a first Raman spectroscopic signature with increased surface is obtained and when the pathogen is present a second Raman spectroscopic signature with increased surface different from the first is obtained.

[0041] The inventors found that the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a sample for gold nanoparticles is characterized by the presence of a peak at 660nm, a peak between 1250 and 1500 nm and a peak at 2100 nm. The patient from whom the sample was taken is then said to be SARS-CoV-2 positive. On the other hand, in the absence of virus in a sample, only a peak between 1100 and 1250 nm is visible. The patient is then declared negative for SARS-CoV-2.

[0042] The invention also relates to the use of a kit according to the present invention in which the software further provides a diagnosis of the disease linked to the presence of said pathogenic agent. Description of figures and embodiments

[0043] Other advantages and particularities of the invention will appear on reading example 1 and the following figures:

[0044] [Fig.l] illustrates the results obtained with nasopharyngeal samples from 20 different people with 3 samples for each sample. The experimental conditions are those of example 1.

[0045] [Fig.2] gives the spectra obtained under the conditions of example 1 for positive patients in whom the presence of Covid-19 was detected (in black) and for negative patients in whom the presence of Covid-19 was not detected. (in gray)

[0046] [Fig.3] illustrates the presence of peaks in positive (+) patients and in negative (x) patients when using gold nanoparticles.

[0047] Example 1: Detection of the presence of SARS-CoV-2

[0048] Material and method

[0049] Nasopharyngeal samples are taken from people.

[0050] The samples are treated with a lysis buffer and the RNA is isolated by absorption on a silica matrix and washing.

[0051] A solution containing gold particles with an average diameter of 150 nm at a concentration of 0.15 mg / ml (AuNP-COL from Metrohm) is centrifuged at 18,000 g for 1 minute.

[0052] 30 microliters of the sample containing the purified RNA are brought into contact with the pellet of nanoparticles then the whole is stirred to obtain a homogeneous medium.

[0053] Deposits of 10 microliters are made on a slide covered with aluminum foil and the spectra are carried out with a Metrohm ST-Ram sensor with a power of approximately 500 mW with a wavelength of 785 nm. It is used between 10 and 100% of its power, advantageously between 50 and 100% of its power. The integration time of the measurement is between 15 and 60 seconds.

[0054] 1.2. Results:

[0055] They are given in [Fig.l].

[0056] The method according to the present invention is sensitive since it allows a good classification of patients (see the sensitivity column of the table in [Fig.l]) therefore it gives few false positive patients; it is specific (see the specificity column of the table in [Fig.l]) therefore it allows to distinguish negative patients. It has a very high Youden index (Youden WJ Index for rating diagnostic tests Cancer, 3, 32-35). This index is calculated according to the following formula (sensitivity + specificity)-!.

[0057] The specific peaks of SARS-CoV-2 are given in Figures 2 and 3.

[0058] The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a sample for gold nanoparticles is characterized by the presence of a peak at 660nm, a peak between 1250 and 1500 nm and a peak at 2100 nm. The patient from whom the sample was taken is then said to be SARS-CoV-2 positive. On the other hand, in the absence of virus in a sample, only a peak between 1100 and 1250 nm is visible. The patient is then declared negative for SARS-CoV-2.

Claims

Claims

1. Kit for detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a sample by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), said kit comprising a lysis buffer, non-magnetic metal nanoparticles or a mixture of non-magnetic nanoparticles of a first metal and non-magnetic nanoparticles of a second metal, the nanoparticles of the first metal being different from the nanoparticles of the second metal and software designed to detect the presence of said SARS-CoV-2 in said sample, the non-magnetic metal nanoparticles having an average diameter of between 50 and 200 nm, advantageously of between 100 and 200 nm, even more advantageously of between 100 and 150 nm.

2. Kit according to claim 1 in which the non-magnetic metallic nanoparticles are particles of gold, silver, copper or an alloy based on one of these metals.

3. A kit according to any preceding claim wherein the non-magnetic metal nanoparticles of the first metal are gold nanoparticles and the non-magnetic metal nanoparticles of the second metal are silver nanoparticles.

4. Use of a kit for detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a sample by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, said kit comprising a lysis buffer and non-magnetic metal nanoparticles or a mixture of non-magnetic nanoparticles of a first metal and non-magnetic nanoparticles of a second metal, the nanoparticles of the first metal being different from the nanoparticles of the second metal and software designed to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in said sample, the non-magnetic metal nanoparticles having an average diameter of between 50 and 200 nm, advantageously of between 100 and 200 nm, even more advantageously of between 100 and 150 nm.

5. A method for detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a sample likely to contain it by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), said method comprising a) contacting said sample with non-magnetic metal nanoparticles or a mixture of non-magnetic nanoparticles of a first metal and non-magnetic nanoparticles of a second metal, the nanoparticles of the first metal being different from the nanoparticles of the second metal to obtain a solution or a suspension, b) depositing said solution or said suspension on a support and c) detecting the SERS signals emitted by SARS-CoV-2, the signals indicating the presence of said SARS-CoV-2 in said sample, the non-magnetic metal nanoparticles having an average diameter of between 50 and 200 nm, advantageously of between 100 and 200 nm, even more advantageously of between 100 and 150 nm.

6. Method according to claim 5 characterized in that the sample is dissolved in a lysis buffer before contacting with a centrifugation pellet containing said non-magnetic metallic nanoparticles.

7. Method according to claim 5 characterized in that the sample is brought into contact simultaneously with said non-magnetic metallic nanoparticles and with a lysis buffer.

8. Method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the non-magnetic metallic nanoparticles have a diameter of between 50 and 200 nm, advantageously of between 100 and 200 nm, even more advantageously of between 100 and 150 nm.

9. Method according to any one of claims 5 to 8 characterized in that the non-magnetic metallic nanoparticles of the first metal are gold particles and the non-magnetic metallic nanoparticles of the second metal are silver nanoparticles.

10. Use according to claim 4 characterized in that said software further provides an in vitro diagnosis of the disease linked to the presence of said SARS-CoV-2.

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