Detection of cardiac biomarkers using single polyaniline nanowire-based conductometric biosensors

The detection of myoglobin (Myo), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and b-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) plays a vital role in diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. Here we present single site-specific polyaniline (PANI) nanowire biosensors that can detect cardiac biomarkers such as Myo, cTnI, CK-MB, and BNP with ultra-high sensitivity and good specificity. Using single PANI nanowire-based biosensors integrated with microfluidic channels, very low concentrations of Myo (100 pg/mL), cTnI (250 fg/mL), CK-MB (150 fg/mL), and BNP (50 fg/mL) were detected. The single PANI nanowire-based biosensors displayed linear sensing profiles for concentrations ranging from hundreds (fg/mL) to tens (ng/mL). In addition, devices showed a fast (few minutes) response satisfying respective reference conditions for Myo, cTnI, CK-MB, and BNP diagnosis of heart failure and for determining the stage of the disease. This single PANI nanowire-based biosensor demonstrated superior biosensing reliability with the feasibility of label free detection and improved processing cost efficiency due to good biocompatibility of PANI to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Therefore, this development of single PANI nanowire-based biosensors can be applied to other biosensors for cancer or other diseases.