Abstract
The heterogeneity and metastatic features of cancer cells lead to a great number of casualties in the world. Additionally, its diagnosis as well as its treatment is highly expensive. Therefore, development of simple but effective diagnostic systems which detect the molecular markers of cancer is of great importance. The molecular changes on cancer cell membranes serve as targets, such as HER2/neu receptor which is detected on the surface of highly metastatic breast cancer cells. We have aimed to develop a specific and simple quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)-based system to identify HER2/neu expressing breast cancer cells via a receptor-specific monoclonal antibody. First, the QCM chip was coated with polymeric nanoparticles composed of hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA). The nanoparticle coated QCM chip was then functionalized by binding of HER2/neu antibody. The breast cancer cells with/without HER2/neu receptor expression, namely, SKBR3, MDA-MB 231 and also mouse fibroblasts were passed over the chip at a rate of 10–500 cells/mL and the mass changes (Δm) on cell/cm2 unit surface of sensor were detected in real-time. The detection limit of the system was 10 cells/mL. Thus, this QCM-based HER2/neu receptor antibody functionalized system might be used effectively in the detection of HER2/neu expressing SKBR3 breast cancer cells.
Highlights
Cancer is defined as the disruption of normal homeostatic control as a result of accumulation of epigenetic and genetic abnormalities, which leads to a process that involves the uncontrolled proliferation of cells
The large surface area formed by smaller nanoparticles enhances their quantum confinement [29]. This in turn increases the performance of sensor system by enabling the HER2/neu antibody binding on the surface
No change in the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) signal was observed and the results demonstrated that an Ab-NP QCM chip could be used for SKBR3 cell detection a number of times without a significant loss in the activity
Summary
Cancer is defined as the disruption of normal homeostatic control as a result of accumulation of epigenetic and genetic abnormalities, which leads to a process that involves the uncontrolled proliferation of cells. Many conventional diagnostic approaches such as mammography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, computed tomography, position emission tomography and biopsy are used for the detection of breast cancer [2]. These methods are sophisticated, expensive, time consuming or invasive and sometimes have limited sensitivity [3]. Additional molecular methods to detect biomarkers, such as aberrant receptor expression of breast cancer cells, are used [4]. These biomarkers include the molecules produced by cancer cells [5] or the molecules that appear as a result of neoplastic processes [6]
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