MXene-APTES-based electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive detection of novel HPV18 E7 oncoprotein

In order to address the urgent demand for cervical cancer screening, we have developed an electrochemical immunosensor fabricated to detect novel HPV18 E7 oncoprotein. In this study, preparation of intercalated Ti₃C₂-MXene sheets had been done using an etching method and the MXene sheets were modified with 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to allow covalent attachment of immobilized antibody (anti-E7) for label-free ultra-sensitive detection of cancer biomarker. The interaction between antigens and antibodies was investigated utilizing square wave voltammetry (SWV) along with the ferri/ferrocyanide redox couple. Moreover, the sensor reported excellent sensitivity across a broad linear detection range from 10 pg mL^- 1 to 500 pg mL^- 1 with a limit of detection (LoD) of 5.11 pg mL^- 1 under optimized conditions. This work represents the first report of electrochemical immunosensor-based detection of the HPV18 E7 oncoprotein, establishing a new sensing strategy for this clinically significant biomarker. The developed immunosensor was extensively validated in comparison to enzyme-linked immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for quantification of E7 protein in real serum. The immunosensor demonstrated enhanced selectivity, stability, and reusability, suggesting its potential use for point-of-care (PoC) testing with sufficient cervical cancer detection capabilities.