Ultrasensitive detection of human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cells using a label-free aptasensor

Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and has no effective cure, especially in later stages. The development of a tangible protocol for early diagnosis of this disease remains a major challenge. In the present manuscript, an aptamer-based, label-free electrochemical biosensor for the sensitive detection of HepG2, a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, is described. The target cells are captured in a sandwich architecture using TLS11a aptamer covalently attached to a gold surface and a secondary TLS11a aptamer. The application of TLS11a aptamer as a recognition layer resulted in a sensor with high affinity for HepG2 cancer cells in comparison with control cancer cells of human prostate, breast, and colon tumors. The aptasensor delivered a wide linear dynamic range over 1 × 10(2) to 1 × 10(6) cells/mL, with a detection limit of 2 cells/mL. This protocol provides a precise method for sensitive detection of liver cancer with significant advantages in terms of simplicity, low cost, and stability.