Faraday cage-type ECL biosensor for the detection of circulating tumor cell MCF-7

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Diagnostics

Background:

• Early detection of breast cancer is crucial for effective treatment.
• Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are vital biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
• Existing methods for CTC detection face challenges in sensitivity and specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive and reliable biosensor for detecting MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
• To utilize nanomaterials for enhanced signal amplification in electrochemiluminescence detection.
• To establish a method for detecting intact CTCs in human blood samples.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Fe3O4-APTs as capture units and GO@PTCA-APTs as signal units.
• Construction of a Faraday cage-type electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor.
• Employing a double aptamer recognition strategy for improved capture efficiency and reliability.

Main Results:

• The developed biosensor achieved a low limit of detection of 3 cells/mL for MCF-7 cells.
• Demonstrated successful detection of intact circulating tumor cells in actual human blood samples.
• The Faraday cage structure facilitated signal probe assembly, enhancing ECL intensity and sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• The Faraday cage-type ECL biosensor offers a promising platform for sensitive and specific detection of breast cancer cells.
• This study represents the first report of detecting intact CTCs using a Faraday cage-type ECL biosensor.
• The developed biosensor has potential applications in early cancer diagnosis and monitoring.