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Capacitive aptasensor based on interdigitated electrode for breast cancer detection in undiluted human serum
Sunil K Arya1, Pavel Zhurauski1, Pawan Jolly1
1Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
Biosensors & Bioelectronics
|November 12, 2017
Summary
A new capacitive aptasensor detects human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), a breast cancer biomarker, in undiluted serum. This simple sensor achieves highly sensitive detection, paving the way for advanced biomarker diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Biosensor Technology
- Cancer Biomarker Detection
Background:
- Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a critical biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
- Accurate and sensitive detection of HER2 in patient samples is crucial for effective treatment strategies.
- Existing methods for HER2 detection can be complex and may require sample pre-treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple and powerful capacitive aptasensor for detecting HER2 in undiluted human serum.
- To establish a sensitive and reliable electrochemical platform for HER2 quantification.
- To demonstrate the potential of aptasensor technology for direct biomarker detection in complex biological matrices.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of an electrochemical platform using interdigitated gold electrodes.
- Immobilization of a thiol-terminated DNA aptamer specific for HER2 onto the electrode surface via self-assembly.
- Prevention of non-specific binding using a blocking agent.
- Characterization of the sensor using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), atomic force microscopy, and contact angle studies.
- Utilizing non-Faradaic EIS to monitor capacitance changes for HER2 detection.
Main Results:
- The aptasensor demonstrated logarithmic detection of HER2 over a wide concentration range (1 pM to 100 nM) in both buffer and undiluted serum.
- Achieved a limit of detection lower than 1 pM for HER2.
- Confirmed sensor performance through various characterization techniques, including EIS.
- Successfully prevented non-specific binding, ensuring reliable measurements.
Conclusions:
- The developed capacitive aptasensor offers a simple, sensitive, and powerful method for HER2 detection in undiluted serum.
- This technology shows significant promise for the development of next-generation biosensors for protein biomarker analysis.
- The findings support the advancement of aptasensor applications in clinical diagnostics and personalized medicine.
