Electrochemical DNA biosensor for chronic myelocytic leukemia based on hybrid nanostructure

The present research refers to elaborating a new label-free electrochemical biosensor used to detect the BCR/ABL fusion gene. We used a hybrid nanocomposite composed of chitosan and zinc oxide nanoparticles (Chit-ZnONP) immobilized on a polypyrrole (PPy) film. DNA segments were covalently immobilized, allowing biomolecular recognition. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to evaluate the assembly stages of the biosensor. The biosensor's analytical performance was investigated using recombinant plasmids containing the target oncogene and clinical samples from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). A limit of detection (LOD) of 1.34 fM, limit of quantification (LOQ) of 4.08 fM, and sensitivity of 34.03 μA fM^-1 cm² were calculated for the BCR/ABL fusion oncogene. The sensing system exhibited high specificity, selectivity, and reproducibility with a standard deviation (SD) of 4.21%. Additionally, a linear response range was observed between 138.80 aM to 13.88 pM with a regression coefficient of 0.96. Also, the biosensor shows easy operationalization and fast analytical response, contributing to the early cancer diagnosis. The proposed nanostructured device is an alternative for the genetic identification BCR/ABL fusion gene.