Biosensor-Based Nanodiagnosis of Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA): an Approach to Classification and Precise Detection of Cancer Biomarker

Abstract

The precise detection of cancer biomarkers is a principal aspect of effective diagnosis, monitoring, and therapeutics. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a protein normally found in very small amounts in the blood of adults. CEA blood levels can be elevated in benign diseases and certain types of cancer. The CEA test is most commonly used to identify a significantly frequent cancer, colorectal cancer. It has decisive clinical value in monitoring, differential diagnosis, disease, and assessment of therapeutic effects. Therefore, it is important to develop a sensitive and simple CEA detection method to diagnose cancer and improve patient survival accurately. Biosensing has great advantages for early disease detection due to its rapid response, high sensitivity, and convenient operating characteristics. Based on several studies, biosensors seem to be new and promising paths in the future of medical oncology. The main purpose of this study is to introduce and discuss the recent nanodiagnostic biosensors developed since 2018. Therefore, the readers of this study will be introduced to the latest biosensors, the various nanomaterials used in them, and their analytical characteristics. Graphical abstract