Coordination of Nanoconjugation with an Antigen/Antibody for Efficient Detection of Gynecological Tumors

Xinmei Liu,Subash C B Gopinath,Juan Shao,Mang Chek Wey,Xinyuan Yang,Yaru Wang,Yufeng Hong,Yeng Chen

doi:10.1155/2020/6528572

Abstract

Cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers are common in the female reproductive system. Cervical cancer starts from the cervix, while ovarian cancer develops when abnormal cells grow in the ovary. Endometrial or uterine cancer starts from the lining of the womb in the endometrium. Approximately 12,000 women are affected every year by cervical cancer in the United States. Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) is a well-established biomarker in serum for diagnosing gynecological cancers, and its levels were observed to be elevated in cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer patients. Moreover, SCC-Ag was used to identify the tumor size and progression stages. Various biosensing systems have been proposed to identify SCC-Ag; herein, enhanced interdigitated electrode sensing is presented with the use of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) to conjugate an antigen/antibody. It was proved that the limit of detection is 62.5 fM in the case of antibody-GNP, which is 2-fold higher than that by SCC-Ag-GNP. Furthermore, the antibody-GNP-modified surface displays greater current increases with concomitant dose-dependent SCC-Ag levels. High analytical performance was shown by the discrimination against α-fetoprotein and CYFRA 21-1 at 1 pM. An enhanced sensing system is established for gynecological tumors, representing an advance from the earlier detection methods.

Highlights

Gynecological tumors start from the cervix, endometrium, and ovaries of the female reproductive system, and the incidence has recently been increasing among the world population [1,2,3]
To improve the detection limit, a gold nanoparticle- (GNP-) conjugated antibody or gold nanoparticles (GNPs)-conjugated Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) was used, and these two methods were compared on the interdigitated electrode (IDE) sensing surfaces
Since it has been proven that the proper arrangement of biomolecules on the surface of the sensor improves the detection system [27, 28], we expected the proper arrangement of biomolecules with the help of GNPs to improve the detection of SCC-Ag

Summary

Introduction

Gynecological tumors start from the cervix, endometrium, and ovaries of the female reproductive system, and the incidence has recently been increasing among the world population [1,2,3]. Accurate identification of gynecological tumors is the primary necessity to provide successful treatment for affected patients. Various sensing systems with different techniques have been used to identify the condition and progress of tumors [4,5,6]. Imaging techniques support the identification of the advanced stages of gynecological tumors [7]. Serum-based biomarker evaluation is a common strategy to confirm the presence of tumors and their stages [8,9,10]. Cancer biomarkers have received increasing attention to indicate the level of tumors and the associated issues, even helping follow-up treatment responses [11,12,13]. Serum-based biomarkers help to identify the condition of diseases. Tumor markers have been found to be secreted/released/leaked into the fluids in the interstitium, passing to the lymph and the bloodstream [11, 13]

Methods

Results

Conclusion