3D-printed immunosensor for the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

3D printing technology is a strategic tool for the development of electrochemical sensors and biosensors since it is possible to obtain versatile devices quickly and at a low cost. In this work, an arrangement of 3D-printed electrodes (working, pseudo-reference, and auxiliary) was applied for the detection of PARK7/DJ-1 protein in blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples. The immunosensor surface was previously chemically and electrochemically activated to promote the increase of the active sites and the conductivity, allowing the covalent immobilization of the biological species (antibodies) and improving its electrochemical performance. The detection was carried out by impedimetric (5.0 −200 µg L−1), and voltammetric measurements (5.0 −500 µg L−1), showing limits of detection of 1.01 and 3.46 µg L−1. The 3D-printed immunosensor also achieved good repeatability and reproducibility from normal to abnormal levels of PARK7/DJ-1 protein, aiming for the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in different stages of the disease.