A Sol-gel Integrated Dual-readout Microarray Platform for Quantification and Identification of Prostate-specific...

Area of Science:

• Biomarker Discovery
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a key biomarker for prostate cancer.
• Current detection methods can be limited in sensitivity and specificity.
• Novel platforms are needed for efficient biomarker capture and identification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated sol-gel affinity microarray for on-chip PSA capture and identification.
• To enable dual readout capabilities using both fluorescence and mass spectrometry.
• To establish a novel method for biomarker discovery in complex biological fluids.

Main Methods:

• A sol-gel mixture containing anti-PSA antibody (H117) was spotted onto a porous silicon (pSi) surface.
• The sol-gel facilitated antibody penetration for high-affinity capture.
• On-chip matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was used for PSA identification.

Main Results:

• The sol-gel microarray successfully captured and identified prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
• MALDI-TOF-MS analysis of PSA yielded three distinct mass peptide peaks (m/z = 1272, 1407, and 1872).
• The platform demonstrated dual readout capabilities, enabling both fluorometric and MALDI-TOF MS analysis.

Conclusions:

• The sol-gel integrated affinity microarray provides an efficient platform for PSA detection.
• This method offers a valuable tool for biomarker discovery in complex biological samples.
• The dual readout capability enhances the versatility of the platform for various analytical applications.