Electrochemical Cellulase-Linked ELASA for Rapid Liquid Biopsy Testing of Serum HER-2/neu

Non-invasive liquid biopsy assays for blood-circulating biomarkers of cancer allow both its early diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Here, we assessed serum levels of protein HER-2/neu, overexpressed in a number of aggressive cancers, by the cellulase-linked sandwich bioassay on magnetic beads. Instead of traditional antibodies we used inexpensive reporter and capture aptamer sequences, transforming the enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) into an enzyme-linked aptamer-sorbent assay (ELASA). The reporter aptamer was conjugated to cellulase, whose digestion of nitrocellulose film electrodes resulted in the electrochemical signal change. ELASA, optimized relative aptamer lengths (dimer vs monomer and trimer), and assay steps allowed 0.1 fM detection of HER-2/neu in the 10% human serum in 1.3 h. Urokinase plasminogen activator and thrombin as well as human serum albumin did not interfere, and liquid biopsy analysis of serum HER-2/neu was similarly robust but 4 times faster and 300 times cheaper than both electrochemical and optical ELISA. Simplicity and low cost of cellulase-linked ELASA makes it a perspective diagnostic tool for fast and accurate liquid biopsy detection of HER-2/neu and of other proteins for which aptamers are available.