Activators generated electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization for immunosensing.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Ultrasensitive detection of cancer biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis and effective treatment.
• Traditional immunoassay methods often face limitations in sensitivity and signal amplification.
• Developing novel strategies for enhanced signal generation in immunosensing is an ongoing research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel and ultrasensitive immunosensing strategy for cancer biomarker detection.
• To utilize activators generated electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP) for signal amplification.
• To combine AGET ATRP with chemiluminescent (CL) and electrochemical detection for enhanced sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Immobilization of initiator-conjugated antibodies (Ab2*) on a substrate via sandwiched immunoreactions.
• Utilizing AGET ATRP to locally accumulate glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monomers, creating polymer chains with epoxy groups.
• Coupling Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to the abundant epoxy groups for signal generation and detection.
• Employing flow injection chemiluminescent and electrochemical detection methods.

Main Results:

• Achieved a detection limit of 4.0 pg mL⁻¹ for CL detection and 1.3 pg mL⁻¹ for electrochemical detection.
• Demonstrated a 13-fold enhancement in CL intensity and a 14-fold enhancement in electrocatalytic current compared to traditional immunoassays.
• The growth of long polymer chains effectively increased the loading of signal molecules (HRP).

Conclusions:

• The proposed AGET ATRP-based immunosensing strategy offers efficient signal amplification for enhanced sensitivity.
• This method provides a novel and effective approach for the ultrasensitive detection of cancer biomarkers.
• The strategy paves the way for improved diagnostic tools in oncology.