Bioluminescent aptamer-based solid-phase microassay to detect lung tumor cells in plasma

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Lung cancer diagnosis often relies on invasive procedures.
• There is a need for sensitive and specific non-invasive biomarkers.
• DNA aptamers offer high specificity for molecular targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel bioluminescent assay for lung cancer detection using DNA aptamers.
• To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the assay in clinical blood samples.
• To establish a sensitive and specific method for early lung cancer diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• High-affinity DNA aptamers targeting lung tumor cells were synthesized.
• A sandwich-type bioluminescent assay was designed using magnetic microspheres.
• Patient blood samples (lung cancer and control) were analyzed using the developed assay.
• Receiver Operator Curve (ROC) analysis was performed to assess diagnostic accuracy.

Main Results:

• The assay successfully detected lung cancer markers in patient blood samples.
• The assay achieved a sensitivity of 91.5% and a specificity of 75%.
• The area under the ROC curve was 0.901, indicating good diagnostic performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed bioluminescent aptasensor is a promising tool for non-invasive lung cancer diagnosis.
• The assay offers high sensitivity and specificity, distinguishing lung cancer patients from controls.
• This method holds potential for early detection and improved patient management in lung oncology.