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Field Effect Transistor Biosensor Using Antigen Binding Fragment for Detecting Tumor Marker in Human Serum
Shanshan Cheng1, Kaori Hotani2, Sho Hideshima3
1Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1, Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan. chengshanshan@akane.waseda.jp.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 10, 2017
Summary
Using small antigen-binding fragments (Fab) instead of whole antibodies on field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors significantly enhances tumor marker detection sensitivity. This improves cancer diagnosis by enabling more responsive and selective detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Biosensing
Background:
- Tumor marker detection is crucial for cancer diagnosis.
- Field-effect transistors (FETs) offer label-free detection of biomolecules.
- Ionic screening by large antibodies on FETs limits sensitivity for charged proteins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of probe molecule size on FET biosensor detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).
- To compare the sensitivity of whole antibodies versus antigen-binding fragments (Fab) for AFP detection.
Main Methods:
- Immobilization of small antigen-binding fragments (Fab) on FET sensing surfaces.
- Testing FET biosensor performance for AFP detection in buffer and human serum.
- Utilizing blocking treatments to prevent non-specific interactions.
Main Results:
- Small Fab probes (2-3 nm) demonstrated higher sensitivity and a wider detection range (100 pg/mL-1 μg/mL) for AFP compared to whole antibodies.
- Fab-immobilized FETs with blocking treatment achieved sensitive and selective AFP detection in human serum.
Conclusions:
- Employing small Fab probe molecules effectively enhances the sensitivity of FET biosensors for AFP detection.
- Fab-based FET biosensors show promise for sensitive and selective cancer biomarker detection, even in complex biological samples like serum.
