Electrochemical coding for multiplexed immunoassays of proteins

Magnetic microbead-based electrochemical immunoassays

This review provides a summary of recent works concerning electrochemical immunoassays using magnetic microbeads as a solid phase. Recent research activity has led to innovative and powerful detection strategies that have been resulted in sensitive electrochemical detection. Coupling of magnetic microbeads with highly sensitive electrochemical detection provides a useful analytical method for environmental evaluation and clinical diagnostics, etc. The huge surface area and high dispersion capability of magnetic microbeads strongly contributes towards the development of new sensitive, rapid, user-friendly, and miniaturized electrochemical immunoassay systems. Moreover, the immunocomplexes formed on the magnetic microbead surface can be easily detected without pretreatment steps such as preconcentration or purification, which are normally required for standard methods. The discussion in this review is organized in two main subjects that include magnetic-microbead-based assays using enzyme labels and nanoparticle tags.

Electrochemical immunoassay of carcinoembryonic antigen based on a lead sulfide nanoparticle label

We describe a lead sulfide nanoparticle (PbS NP)-based electrochemical immunoassay to detect a tumor biomarker, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Cubic PbS NPs were prepared and functionalized with thioglycolic acid (TGA), which stabilized the formed NPs and offered carboxyl groups to conjugate with CEA antibodies. PbS NP conjugated with monoclonal CEA antibody was used as a label in an immunorecognition event. After a complete sandwich immunoreaction among the primary CEA antibody (immobilized on the carboxyl-modified magnetic beads), CEA and the PbS-labeled secondary antibody (PbS-anti-CEA), PbS labels were captured to the magnetic-bead (MB) surface through the antibody-antigen immunocomplex. Electrochemical stripping analysis of the captured PbS was used to quantify the concentration of CEA after an acid-dissolution step. The MBs and the magnetic separation platform were used to integrate a facile antibody immobilization with immunoreactions and the isolation of immunocomplexes from reaction solutions in the immunoassay. The voltammetric response is highly linear over the range of 1-50 ng ml(-1) CEA, and the limit of detection is estimated to be 0.5 ng ml(-1). The performance of this nanoparticle-based electrochemical immunoassay was successfully evaluated with human serum spiked with CEA, indicating that this convenient and sensitive technique offers great promise for rapid, simple and cost-effective analysis of tumor biomarkers in biological fluids.

Status of biomolecular recognition using electrochemical techniques

The use of nanoscale materials (e.g., nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanorods) for electrochemical biosensing has seen explosive growth in recent years following the discovery of carbon nanotubes by Sumio Ijima in 1991. Although the resulting label-free sensors could potentially simplify the molecular recognition process, there are several important hurdles to be overcome. These include issues of validating the biosensor on statistically large population of real samples rather than the commonly reported relatively short synthetic oligonucleotides, pristine laboratory standards or bioreagents; multiplexing the sensors to accommodate high-throughput, multianalyte detection as well as application in complex clinical and environmental samples. This article reviews the status of biomolecular recognition using electrochemical detection by analyzing the trends, limitations, challenges and commercial devices in the field of electrochemical biosensors. It provides a survey of recent advances in electrochemical biosensors including integrated microelectrode arrays with microfluidic technologies, commercial multiplex electrochemical biosensors, aptamer-based sensors, and metal-enhanced electrochemical detection (MED), with limits of detection in the attomole range. Novel applications are also reviewed for cancer monitoring, detection of food pathogens, as well as recent advances in electrochemical glucose biosensors.

Disposable Reagentless Electrochemical Immunosensor Array Based on a Biopolymer/Sol-Gel Membrane for Simultaneous Measurement of Several Tumor Markers

Background: A reagentless sensor array for simultaneous multianalyte testing (SMAT) may enable accurate diagnosis and be applicable for point-of-care testing. We developed a disposable reagentless immunosensor array for simple immunoassay of panels of tumor markers.

Methods: We carried out SMAT with a direct capture format, in which colloidal gold nanoparticles with bound horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled antibodies were immobilized on screen-printed carbon electrodes with biopolymer/sol-gel to trap their corresponding antigens from sample solution. Upon formation of immunocomplex, the direct electrochemical signal of the HRP decreased owing to increasing spatial blocking, and the analytes could be simultaneously determined by monitoring the signal changes.

Results: The proposed reagentless immunosensor array allowed simultaneous detection of carcinoma antigen 153, carcinoma antigen 125, carbohydrate antigen 199, and carcinoembryonic antigen in clinical serum samples in the ranges of 0.4–140 kU/L, 0.5–330 kU/L, 0.8–190 kU/L, and 0.1–44 μg/L, respectively, with detection limits of 0.2 kU/L, 0.5 kU/L, 0.3 kU/L, and 0.1 μg/L corresponding to the signals 3 SD above the mean of a zero standard. The interassay imprecision of the arrays was <9.5%, and they were stable for 35 days. The positivity detection rate of panels of tumor markers was >95.5% for 95 cases of cancer-positive sera.

Conclusions: The immunosensor array provides a SMAT with short analytical time, small sampling volume, no need for substrate, and, no between-electrode cross-talk. This method not only proved the capability of the array in point-of-care testing, but also allowed simultaneous testing of several tumor markers.

Carbohydrate monolayer strategy for electrochemical assay of cell surface carbohydrate

The study of glycobiology has been seriously hampered due to lack of an ideal assay tool. This work proposes a robust carbohydrate monolayer platform to solve the problems of active site inaccessibility and lectin denaturation associated with protein arrays reported for detection of cell surface carbohydrates and develops a convenient method for monitoring cell surface carbohydrate sites of interest, with high sensitivity, acceptable rapidity, low cost, and excellent extensibility. It utilizes the competitive binding of solid-surface-confined and cell-surface-residing carbohydrates to quantum dot labeled carbohydrate recognition protein and subsequent voltammetric quantification of the metal signature. The mannan monolayer strategy exhibited sensitive response to K562 cells and possessed potential specificity due to the specific interaction between lectin and corresponding carbohydrate. By comparing the competitive binding of K562 cells with mannan in solutions, the average Con A binding capacity of a single K562 cell could be estimated to correspond to 6.9 pg or 2.3 x 10(10) mannose moieties. This strategy integrates the advantages of surface assembly, nanotechnology, bioconjugate techniques, and electrochemical detection and can be expanded for profiling cell surface carbohydrates and high-throughput multiple detection by simultaneously using more pairs of lectin and carbohydrate owing to the multiple coding capability of QDs, which provides an important protocol for the quantitative evaluation of cell surface carbohydrate sites.

Two-color electrophoretic immunoassay for simultaneous measurement of insulin and glucagon content in islets of Langerhans

A multianalyte CE competitive immunoassay using two-color detection was developed to measure insulin and glucagon in islets of Langerhans. Insulin was quantified with FITC-insulin (Ins*) and anti-insulin antibodies (Ins Ab) and glucagon was quantified with Cy5-glucagon (Glu*) and anti-glucagon antibodies (Glu Ab). A 3 mW Ar(+) laser at 488 nm and a 25 mW laser diode at 635 nm were used to excite FITC and Cy5, respectively. Fluorescence was split with a half-silvered mirror and passed through a 520 +/- 20 nm bandpass filter or a 663 nm longpass filter for the detection of insulin and glucagon, respectively. The two-color detection format enabled independent quantitation of both analytes even with concentrations of insulin immunoassay reagents 20-fold higher than glucagon reagents. Simultaneous calibration curves were generated and used to determine insulin and glucagon content in islets of Langerhans. Amounts of insulin and glucagon were 56.6 +/- 3.2 and 1.0 +/- 0.5 ng/islet, respectively. LODs were 7 nM insulin and 3 nM glucagon. The assay will be applicable to fast monitoring of multiple peptides secreted from islets of Langerhans and can be applied to other systems for the quantitation of multiple analytes with large differences in concentrations.

Nanostructures as analytical tools in bioassays

We critically evaluate the usefulness of different nanostructures described as labels, nanoscaffolds or separation media in immunoassays and nucleic-acid hybridization assays. Many of the great number of publications describe only theoretical aspects of using these nanostructures or nanoparticles, but do not verify their applicability in the presence of potential interferents that can be present in the sample matrix. We attempt a systematic study of the advantages and the limitations of using these new reagents in bioassays, the different assay formats for individual and multiplexed detection, and the capability of these assays in analyzing real samples.

Aptamer-based potentiometric measurements of proteins using ion-selective microelectrodes

We here report on the first example of an aptamer-based potentiometric sandwich assay of proteins. The measurements are based on CdS quantum dot labels of the secondary aptamer, which were determined with a novel solid-contact Cd2+-selective polymer membrane electrode after dissolution with hydrogen peroxide. The electrode exhibited cadmium ion detection limits of 100 pM in 100 mL samples and of 1 nM in 200 microL microwells, using a calcium-selective electrode as a pseudoreference electrode. As a prototype example, thrombin was measured in 200 microL samples with a lower detection limit of 0.14 nM corresponding to 28 fmol of analyte. The results show great promise for the potentiometric determination of proteins at very low concentrations in microliter samples.

Nanomaterial labels in electrochemical immunosensors and immunoassays

This article reviews recent advances in nanomaterial labels in electrochemical immunosensors and immunoassays. Various nanomaterial labels are discussed, including colloidal gold/silver, semiconductor nanoparticles, and markers loaded nanocarriers (carbon nanotubes, apoferritin, silica nanoparticles, and liposome beads). The enormous signal enhancement associated with the use of nanomaterial labels and with the formation of nanomaterial-antibody-antigen assemblies provides the basis for ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of disease-related protein biomarkers, biothreat agents, or infectious agents. In general, all endeavors cited here are geared to achieve one or more of the following goals: signal amplification by several orders of magnitude, lower detection limits, and detecting multiple targets.

A platform for ultrasensitive and selective multiplexed marker protein assay toward early-stage cancer diagnosis

Multiplexed marker protein assay is critical in the diagnosis of complex diseases that cannot be diagnosed by detection of a single marker protein. Gold nanoparticle (Au NP) probes barcoded with reporter DNAs and magnetic microparticles functionalized with a capture antibody were developed for the multiplexed detection of three cancer marker proteins. Three types of Au NP probes were used and each Au NP probe was cofunctionalized with reporter (barcode) DNAs and a specific antibody for each corresponding target protein. Target proteins (antigens) were exposed to magnetic microparticles to form complexes and Au NP probes bound to the resulting target-magnetic microparticle complex through antigen-antibody interaction in a different region of the target protein. After magnetic separation of the complexes, barcode DNAs were released, hybridized with capture DNAs printed on a chip and then identified using a scanometric assay that involved silver amplification. Using this method, Mirkin and colleagues successfully demonstrated, for the first time, a highly selective and sensitive multiplexed protein assay against three cancer marker proteins at low picomolar concentration in a buffer of serum media.

An electrochemical sensor based on the human estrogen receptor ligand binding domain

Three different conformations of the ligand binding domain of the human estrogen receptor (ER-LBD) are observed for the native state when binding an agonist and when binding an antagonist. By conjugating ER-LBD conformation specific peptides to CdS nanoparticles, the three different states can be identified by anodic stripping voltammetry. This electrochemical sensor can detect and distinguish the binding of different ligands to the human estrogen receptor.

A disposable two-throughput electrochemical immunosensor chip for simultaneous multianalyte determination of tumor markers

A disposable two-throughput immunosensor array was proposed for simultaneous electrochemical determination of tumor markers. The low-cost immunosensor array was fabricated simply using cellulose acetate membrane to co-immobilize thionine as a mediator and two kinds of antigens on two carbon electrodes of a screen-printed chip, respectively. With two simultaneous competitive immunoreactions the corresponding horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeled antibodies were captured on the membranes, respectively, on which the immobilized thionine shuttled electrons between HRP and the electrodes for enzymatic reduction of H2O2 to produce detectable signals. The electrochemical and electronic cross-talks between the electrodes could be avoided, which was beneficial to the miniaturization of the array without considering the distance between immunosensors. Under optimal conditions the immunosensor array could be used for fast simultaneous electrochemical detection of CA 19-9 and CA 125 with the limits of detection of 0.2 and 0.4 U/ml, respectively. The serum samples from clinic were assayed with the proposed method and the results were in acceptable agreement with the reference values. The proposed method for preparation of immunosensor array could be conveniently used for fabrication of disposable electrochemical biochip with high throughput and possessed the potential of mass production and commercialization.

A Disposable Multianalyte Electrochemical Immunosensor Array for Automated Simultaneous Determination of Tumor Markers

Background: Automated and convenient multianalyte detection with high throughput is increasingly needed in clinical diagnosis. We developed a disposable 4-by-2 array for programmed simultaneous amperometric immunoassay of 4 tumor markers.

Methods: We used a screen-printed technique, 1-step immobilization method, and flow injection technique. We immobilized carcinoembryonic antigen, α-fetoprotein, β-human choriogonadotropin, and carcinoma antigen 125 as model analytes in a redox mediator–grafted, biopolymer-modified, screen-printed carbon electrode array to capture corresponding horseradish peroxidase-labeled antibodies in competitive immunoreactions. The simultaneous multianalyte immunoassay was automatically carried out to amperometrically monitor the mediator-catalyzed enzymatic response to hydrogen peroxide, which decreased in proportion to the concentrations of analytes in samples.

Results: The multianalyte immunosensor array had a throughput of 60 samples/h and allowed simultaneous detection of carcinoembryonic antigen, α-fetoprotein, β-human choriogonadotropin, and carcinoma antigen 125 in clinical serum samples with concentrations up to 188 μg/L, 250 μg/L, 266 IU/L, and 334 kIU/L, respectively. The detection limits (limits of the blank, mean of blank plus 3 SD) were 1.1 μg/L, 1.7 μg/L, 1.2 IU/L, and 1.7 kIU/L. The inter- and intraassay imprecision (CVs) of the immunosensor arrays were <7.8% and <9.0%, respectively. The immunosensor arrays were stable for 28 days.

Conclusions: This newly constructed immunosensor array provides a simple, automated, simultaneous multianalyte immunoassay with high throughput, short analytical time, and sufficiently low detection limits for clinical application. This method offers the capability of miniaturizing the multianalyte detection device.

Ultrasensitive assays for proteins

Proteins are essential components of organisms and are involved in a wide range of biological functions. There are increasing demands for ultra-sensitive protein detection, because many important protein biomarkers are present at ultra-low levels, especially during the early stages of disease. Measuring proteins at low levels is also crucial for investigations of the protein synthesis and functions in biological systems. In this review, we summarize the recent developments of novel technology enabling ultrasensitive protein detection. We focus on two groups of techniques that involve either polymerase amplification of affinity DNA probes or signal amplification by the use of nano-/micro-materials. The polymerase-based amplification of affinity DNA probes indirectly improves the sensitivity of protein detection by increasing the number of detection molecules. The use of nano-/micro-materials conjugated to affinity probes enhances the measurement signals by using the unique electrical, optical, and catalytic properties of these novel materials. This review describes the basic principles, performances, applications, merits, and limitations of these techniques.

Detection of cadmium sulphide nanoparticles by using screen-printed electrodes and a handheld device

A simple method based on screen-printed electrodes and a handheld potentiostatic device is reported for the detection of water soluble CdS quantum dots modified with glutathione. The detection method is based on the stripping of electrochemically reduced cadmium at pH 7.0 by using square wave voltammetry. Various parameters that affect the sensitivity of the method are optimized. QD suspension volumes of 20 microl and a number of around 2 x 10(11) CdS quantum dots have been able to be detected. The proposed method should be of special interest for bioanalytical assays, where CdS quantum dots can be used as electrochemical tracers.

Biomolecule–nanoparticle hybrids as functional units for nanobiotechnology

Biomolecule-metal or semiconductor nanoparticle (NP) hybrid systems combine the recognition and catalytic properties of biomolecules with the unique electronic and optical properties of NPs. This enables the application of the hybrid systems in developing new electronic and optical biosensors, to synthesize nanowires and nanocircuits, and to fabricate new devices. Metal NPs are employed as nano-connectors that activate redox enzymes, and they act as electrical or optical labels for biorecognition events. Similarly, semiconductor NPs act as optical probes for biorecognition processes. Double-stranded DNA or protein chains that are modified with metallic nanoclusters act as templates for the synthesis of metallic nanowires. The nanowires are used as building blocks to assemble nano-devices such as a transistor or a nanotransporter.

Electrochemical biosensing with nanoparticles

This minireview looks at the latest trends in the use of nanoparticles (NPs) in electrochemical biosensing systems. It includes electrochemical characterization of NPs for use as labels in affinity biosensors and other applications. DNA analysis involving NPs is one of the most important topics of current research in bionanotechnology. The advantages of the use of NPs in designing novel electrochemical sensors for DNA analysis are reviewed. Electrochemical NPs can also be used in designing immunoassays, offering the possibility of easy, low cost and simultaneous detection of several proteins. Research into NP applications in electrochemical analysis is in its infancy. Several aspects related to sensitivity as well integration of all the assay steps into a single one need to be improved.

Low-Field Magnetic Separation of Monodisperse Fe3O4 Nanocrystals

Magnetic separations at very low magnetic field gradients (<100 tesla per meter) can now be applied to diverse problems, such as point-of-use water purification and the simultaneous separation of complex mixtures. High-surface area and monodisperse magnetite (Fe3O4) nanocrystals (NCs) were shown to respond to low fields in a size-dependent fashion. The particles apparently do not act independently in the separation but rather reversibly aggregate through the resulting high-field gradients present at their surfaces. Using the high specific surface area of Fe3O4 NCs that were 12 nanometers in diameter, we reduced the mass of waste associated with arsenic removal from water by orders of magnitude. Additionally, the size dependence of magnetic separation permitted mixtures of 4- and 12-nanometer-sized Fe3O4 NCs to be separated by the application of different magnetic fields.

Potentiometric biosensing of proteins with ultrasensitive ion-selective microelectrodes and nanoparticle labels

We report here for the first time on the use of potentiometry for ultrasensitive nanoparticle-based detection of protein interactions. A silver ion-selective microelectrode is used to detect silver ions oxidatively released from silver enlarged gold nanoparticle labels in a sandwich immunoassay. Since potentiometry is expected to largely maintain its analytical characteristics upon reducing the sample volume, it is anticipated that this approach may form the basis for bioassays with attractive detection limits.

Nanoparticle-Based Sensing of Glycan−Lectin Interactions

Here we present the first report on nanoparticle-based biosensing of glycan markers of diseases. The protocol relies on the competition between a nanocrystal (CdS)-tagged sugar and the target sugar for the binding sites of surface-confined lectin and monitoring the extent of competition through highly sensitive electrochemical detection of the captured nanocrystal. This development is expected to allow decentralized detection of carbohydrate moieties and lectin-carbohydrate interactions to be performed more rapidly, sensitively, inexpensively, and reliably.

Biosensors and bioelectrochemistry

This review describes recent developments in the field of biosensors and bioelectrochemistry. Nanoparticles have been used to improve sensor performance and to develop biosensors based on new detection principles. Their use has extended into all areas of biosensor and bioelectrochemistry research. Other active areas of biosensor development include DNA sensing, immunosensing, direct electron transfer between an electrode and a redox protein or enzyme, and in vivo sensors.