Glycan-Based Electrochemical Biosensors: Promising Tools for the Detection of Infectious Diseases and Cancer Biomarkers

Abstract

Glycan-based electrochemical biosensors are emerging as analytical tools for determining multiple molecular targets relevant to diagnosing infectious diseases and detecting cancer biomarkers. These biosensors allow for the detection of target analytes at ultra-low concentrations, which is mandatory for early disease diagnosis. Nanostructure-decorated platforms have been demonstrated to enhance the analytical performance of electrochemical biosensors. In addition, glycans anchored to electrode platforms as bioreceptors exhibit high specificity toward biomarker detection. Both attributes offer a synergy that allows ultrasensitive detection of molecular targets of clinical interest. In this context, we review recent advances in electrochemical glycobiosensors for detecting infectious diseases and cancer biomarkers focused on colorectal cancer. We also describe general aspects of structural glycobiology, definitions, and classification of electrochemical biosensors and discuss relevant works on electrochemical glycobiosensors in the last ten years. Finally, we summarize the advances in electrochemical glycobiosensors and comment on some challenges and limitations needed to advance toward real clinical applications of these devices.

Glycan-based scaffolds and nanoparticles as drug delivery system in cancer therapy

“…Glycans are carbohydrate compounds composed of polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones that can exist in their free form as monosaccharide units or can be covalently linked through glycosidic bonds to form oligosaccharides and polysaccharides (20)(21)(22). These carbohydrate molecules can attach to other molecules, such as proteins and lipids, forming glycoconjugates (23).…”

Emerging Applications of Nanobiosensors in Pathogen Detection in Water and Food

“…As is mentioned above, the choice of signal recognition technology can determine the sensitivity level required to identify biochemical, genetic, or whole cell biomarker concentration in the sample [132,202] and affect the performance of the device. In fact, the detection's ultra-low concentration of pathogen-disease biomarkers concentration in samples is a mandatory requirement for early detection in clinical diagnoses [203]. Some of the disadvantages of biosensor-based pathogen detection are as follows: The factor to be determined is the target molecule to be sensed where sensitivity and specificity are compromised by the biomarker choice [109].…”

Nanociencia, nanotecnología y tecnologías disruptivas en el contexto de la medicina de precisión

“…Bioreceptors are functional biomolecules anchored at the transducer platforms to interact specifically with the target. Most common bioreceptors include enzymes, antibodies, DNA strands, but other biomolecules, including peptides, aptamers, and (glycol) proteins, organelles, and whole cells have served as bioreceptors in nanobiosensing approaches (Echeverri & Orozco, 2022b).…”

“…(Hosseinifard et al, 2021) should be integrated within intelligent system architectures as unified strategies for data collection, interpretation, and dissemination toward Healthcare 4.0. For example, nanobiosensors can be integrated into autonomous microfluidic systems for minimum consumption of reagents, samples, and energy and adapted for multiplexed on-demand monitoring of pathology-related biomarkers in portable devices compatible with the POC concept and massive data dissemination (Echeverri & Orozco, 2022b). In addition, intelligent nanobiosensors may shift to intelligent diagnostics efficiently integrated with smartphones as IoT gateways and other new digital technologies to use the data as the base for decision-making in healthcare systems.…”