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Biosensor Design for the Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells Using the Quartz Crystal Resonator Technique
Raad A Alawajji1,2, Zeid A Nima Alsudani1, Alexandrus S Biris1
1Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA.
Biosensors
|May 15, 2023
Summary
A novel ring electrode quartz crystal resonator (QCR) biosensor effectively detects circulating tumor cells (CTCs). This mass-sensitive device eliminates spatial frequency response nonuniformity, advancing early cancer detection and point-of-care diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Biosensing and Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Quartz crystal resonators (QCRs) are sensitive mass-detection devices.
- Traditional QCRs exhibit spatial nonuniformity in frequency response, limiting their diagnostic accuracy.
- Detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is crucial for early cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a mass-sensitive biosensing approach for detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs).
- To design and validate a ring electrode-based QCR to overcome spatial frequency response limitations.
- To evaluate the performance of the developed QCR biosensor for capturing and detecting cancer cell lines.
Main Methods:
- Mathematical modeling was employed to design a ring electrode QCR, optimizing frequency response.
- An ink-dot method validated the fabricated ring electrode's performance.
- Surface immobilization of anti-EpCAM antibodies on the SiO2 surface was achieved using a silane and protein linkage for CTC capture.
- The ring electrode QCR's CTC capture ability was experimentally tested and compared to a keyhole electrode QCR.
Main Results:
- The ring electrode QCR successfully eliminated spatial nonuniformity in frequency response across three cancer cell lines (MCF-7, PANC-1, PC-3).
- The keyhole electrode QCR demonstrated nonuniform spatial response for the same cell lines.
- The developed QCR biosensor showed effective capture of circulating tumor cells.
Conclusions:
- The ring electrode QCR design effectively addresses spatial nonuniformity issues in QCR-based biosensing.
- This technology shows significant promise for developing sensitive QCR biosensors for early cancer cell detection.
- The QCR biosensor has potential applications in point-of-care diagnosis for cancer screening.
