Label-free polyethylenimine@carbon quantum dots@Ni-metal–organic frameworks biosensing platform for highly sensitive detection of HER2-positive breast cancer biomarker

What is it about?

Evaluating human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) tumor marker status is important in breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and monitoring. This research uses an electrochemical biosensor, a revolutionary approach in cancer diagnosis, to identify circulating HER2+ tumor cells. The electrochemical activity, shape, size, and morphology of the synthesized nanomaterials are analyzed. A composite comprising nickel-based metal–organic frameworks (MOF), carbon quantum dot (CQD) nanoparticles, and polyethyleneimine (PEI) is coated on the surface of graphite electrodes.

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Why is it important?

This platform improves the surface morphology and properties, electrochemical activity, and biosensing performance. The graphenized graphite electrode-based biosensor demonstrates excellent performance against HER2-overexpressing SK-BR-3 cancer cells, with a linear dynamic range of 100–500 cells per mL and an analytical detection limit of less than 1 cell/ mL. Accordingly, the benefits of this highly efficient platform include high specificity, wide dynamic range, reproducibility, selectivity, and low cost. These characteristics indicate that the fabricated nanobiosensor has high potential for monitoring and detecting HER2 levels in breast cancer patients and clinical diagnosis.