A Label-Free Microelectrode Array Based on One-Step Synthesis of Chitosan–Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube–Thionine for Ultrasensitive Detection of Carcinoembryonic Antigen

Abstract

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been an extensively used tumor marker responsible for clinical early diagnosis of cervical carcinomas, and pancreatic, colorectal, gastric and lung cancer. Combined with micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) technology, it is important to develop a novel immune microelectrode array (MEA) not only for rapid analysis of serum samples, but also for cell detection in vitro and in vivo. In this work, we depict a simple approach to modify chitosan–multi-walled carbon nanotubes–thionine (CS–MWCNTs–THI) hybrid film through one-step electrochemical deposition and the CS-MWCNTs-THI hybrid films are successfully employed to immobilize anti-CEA for fabricating simple, label-free, and highly sensitive electro-chemical immune MEAs. The detection principle of immune MEA was based on the fact that the increasing formation of the antigen-antibody immunocomplex resulted in the decreased response currents and the relationship between the current reductions with the corresponding CEA concentrations was directly proportional. Experimental results indicated that the label-free MEA had good selectivity and the limit of detection for CEA is 0.5 pg/mL signal to noise ratio (SNR) = 3. A linear calibration plot for the detection of CEA was obtained in a wide concentration range from 1 pg/mL to 100 ng/mL (r = 0.996). This novel MEA has potential applications for detecting CEA for the research on cancer cells and cancer tissue slices as well as for effective early diagnosis.

Chitosan and Its Derivative-Based Nanoparticles in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Molecular Mechanisms of Action and Promising Anticancer Strategies

“…Te fndings of this investigation indicate that the presence of NPs in cancerous locations, both in vitro and in vivo, may serve as a means of detection. Several research groups, including Tong et al [187], Xu et al [188], Rong et al [189], Soares et al [190], and Dobiasch et al [191], have endeavored to reduce mortality rates associated with PC through early detection (Figure 2, Table 2).…”

Development of in vitro 2D and 3D microelectrode arrays and their role in advancing biomedical research

“…Carbon nanotubes (CNT), as another finishing method, are known to provide a strong nanostructure with a large relative surface area and have been embedded into microelectrode surfaces [141,142]. Gaio et al produced a CNT microelectrode finished on an 'upside-down' MEA [18] (figure 4 (b)).…”

Carbon Nanomaterial Based Biosensors for Non-Invasive Detection of Cancer and Disease Biomarkers for Clinical Diagnosis

“…Various CNT-based electrochemical sensors were developed for CEA detection utilizing anti-CEA antibodies as target recognition elements. Sensor platforms include microelectrode arrays modified with chitosan (CS)-MWCNT-thionine (Thi) hybrid film [ 45 ], conducting paper (CP) electrode based on CNT-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) composite [ 46 ], GCE modified by multi-layer films made from Prussian Blue (PB) NPs and rGO-MWCNT composites and AuNPs [ 47 ], GCE modified by multi-layers of PB NPs and MWCNT-polyethyleneimine (PEI)-AuNP composites and chitosan with AuNPs [ 48 ], and GCE modified by layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of positively charged CNTs wrapped by poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and negatively charged poly(sodium-p-styrene-sulfonate) (PSS) [ 49 ]. The latter three multilayer-film modified sensors exhibited comparable sensitivity and linearity range ( Table 1 ).…”