Surface Functionalization of ITO for Dual-Mode Hypoxia-Associated Cancer Biomarker Detection

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a versatile transparent conducting material utilized in biosensing.
• Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is a tumor-associated biomarker crucial for cancer diagnostics.
• Existing CA IX detection methods are often slow and not suitable for point-of-care use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel Indium tin oxide (ITO)-based electrochemical biosensor for sensitive and selective detection of carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX).
• To immobilize CA IX-specific antibodies onto functionalized ITO surfaces for enhanced biomarker capture.
• To evaluate the biosensor's performance for potential application in cancer diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• ITO surfaces were functionalized using silane chemistry for antibody immobilization.
• A secondary horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated antibody was employed for signal amplification.
• The biosensor's performance was characterized using dual-mode optical and electrochemical techniques.
• Limit of detection (LOD) was determined electrochemically.

Main Results:

• Efficient immobilization of CA IX-specific antibodies on the ITO surface was confirmed.
• The electrochemical approach yielded a limit of detection (LOD) of 266.4 ng/mL for CA IX.
• The biosensor demonstrated potential for sensitive and selective CA IX detection.

Conclusions:

• The developed ITO-based electrochemical biosensor shows promise for sensitive and selective CA IX detection.
• This platform is suitable for cancer diagnostics and other biomedical applications.
• The study highlights the potential of functionalized ITO in advanced biosensing technologies.