State-of-the-art cancer biomarker detection by portable (Bio) sensing technology: A critical review

Abstract

Electrochemical portable assays by applying data analysis capability enabled patients to use real-time medical instruments and health-related information. The trace determination of the most cancer biomarkers in body fluids by mobile health (mHealth) equipment requires high bio-affinity sensors that depend on the applied “bioreceptors”. Portable point-of-care (POCT) sensing devices have shown their wide range of applications, ranging from the monitoring of health systems to the diagnostic and treatment of most cancers. Portable-based biosensors are small, cost effective, sensitive, and online detection equipment provide real-time determination of biological agents. Nanomaterial-based compounds, microfluidic systems, electrical and biological design methods and the wireless networking skills are significantly required for design and development of mobile-based biosensing assays. The goal of this review is to discuss the recent progress of mHealth bio-affinity technology from laboratory testing to mobile POCT tools and electronic portable assays for the detection of cancer biomarkers. First of all, the mechanism of portable-based detecting approaches and their analytical characteristics will be described in detailed with related researchworks. Next, different detecting techniques will be discussed and an effective evaluation will be carried out for the identification of cancer biomarkers. Moreover, recent recognition advances will be described alongside their recognition process (e.g., various electrochemical and optical methods) in the mHealth affinity biosensors, which are enabled by numerous bioreceptors (e.g. DNAs, antibodies, molecularly imprinted polymers and aptamers). In order to create a novel sensing models on the wearable bio-affinity system, the challenges and perspective are finally made and major technical hurdles will be highlighted.