Abstract
Electrochemical immunosensors, EIs, are systems that combine the analytical power of electrochemical techniques and the high selectivity and specificity of antibodies in a solid phase immunoassay for target analyte. In EIs, the most used transducer platforms are screen printed electrodes, SPEs. Some characteristics of EIs are their low cost, portability for point of care testing (POCT) applications, high specificity and selectivity to the target molecule, low sample and reagent consumption and easy to use. Despite all these attractive features, still exist one to cover and it is the enhancement of the sensitivity of the EIs. In this review, an approach to understand how this can be achieved is presented. First, it is necessary to comprise thoroughly all the complex phenomena that happen simultaneously in the protein-surface interface when adsorption of the protein occurs. Physicochemical properties of the protein and the surface as well as the adsorption phenomena influence the sensitivity of the EIs. From this point, some strategies to suppress non-specific binding, NSB, of proteins onto electrode surfaces in order to improve the sensitivity of EIs are mentioned.
Highlights
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) defined in 2011 an electrochemical immunosensor (EI), as an integrated analytical device where the biorecognition event is based on an antigen/antibody reaction, which can transduce the product molecules of this reaction into an electric signal through the electrode surface and quantify the amount of antigen present in the sample [1]
We find that monoclonal antibodies are very specific for a single epitope in a multivalent antigen, contrary to what happens in polyclonal antibodies that recognize and bind to the same antigen but can be combined with different epitopes
The development of EIs that can be applied, for example, in the clinical diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and heart issues have been widely studied throughout these years
Summary
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) defined in 2011 an electrochemical immunosensor (EI), as an integrated analytical device where the biorecognition event is based on an antigen/antibody reaction, which can transduce the product molecules of this reaction into an electric signal through the electrode surface (transducer) and quantify the amount of antigen present in the sample [1]. The goal in the design and construction of sensing platforms is to measure the smallest possible amount of the target analyte present in a real complex sample with high precision and accuracy [3] To achieve this goal, it is necessary to create simple and innovative sensor platforms able to suppress non-specific binding (NSB) of undesirable proteins or molecules in the electrode surface [4]. Physical modification strategies are performed attaching molecules directly to the surface, e.g., blocking buffer solutions, or by forming a complex with other particles, e.g., avidin coated surfaces. Such physical protein adsorption is governed by van der Waals.
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