Application of biosensors based on nanomaterials in cancer cell detection

Abstract

Cancer, killing millions of people every year, is the most serious disease in the world. The survival of cancer patients is closely related to the diagnosis of cancer cells. Therefore, in the early stage of cancer, the detection of cancer biomarkers from cellular level is of great significance to improve the survival rate of cancer patients. Nanomaterials-based biosensors play the increasingly important role in the treatment of cancer, owing to their ultra-high sensitivity and high selectivity. Nowadays, it is widely used in the detection of cancer cells to provide reference for cancer treatment. Herein, the present minireview summarizes application of nanomaterials-based biosensors for the detection of cancer cells, such as colorimetric biosensors, fluorescence biosensors, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensors, electrochemical biosensors and other types of biosensors. We further introduce the construction principle of these biosensing methods, and compare the advantages of these biosensors in detecting cancer cells.