Detection of cancer biomarkers CA125 and CA199 via terahertz metasurface immunosensor

Diagnostic value of microRNA-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived extracellular vesicles in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the diagnostic value of microRNA-200 (miR-200) expression in peripheral blood-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed 100 healthy volunteers (the control group) receiving physical examinations, 168 early-stage NSCLC patients (the NSCLC group), and 128 patients with benign lung nodules (the benign group). The basic and clinical data of participants were obtained, including age, sex, smoking history, carbohydrate antigen 242 (CA242), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199), forced expiratory volume in 1 s, maximal voluntary ventilation, forced vital capacity, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and miR-200 expression. The correlation of miR-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived EVs with CA242, CEA, and CA199 was analyzed, and the diagnostic value of peripheral blood-derived EV miR-200 for early-stage NSCLC was assessed. The risk factors of early-stage NSCLC development were also determined.

RESULTS

Age, the percentage of patients with smoking history, CA242, CEA, CA199, IL-6, and TNF-α levels, and miR-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived EVs were significantly higher in the NSCLC group than in the benign and control groups. Lung disease patients with high miR-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived EVs comprised a higher percentage of patients with smoking history and mixed lesions and had higher CA242, CEA, CA199, and TNF-α levels than those with low miR-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived EVs. In lung diseases, miR-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived EVs was significantly and positively correlated with CA242, CEA, and CA199. Peripheral blood-derived EV miR-200 combined with CA242, CEA and CA199 had higher diagnostic value (area under the curve = 0.942) than single detection, along with higher specificity, and high expression of peripheral blood-derived EV miR-200 was an independent risk factor for early-stage NSCLC.

CONCLUSION

Peripheral blood-derived EV miR-200 expression in patients with lung diseases is closely correlated with CA242, CEA, and CA199, and high expression of peripheral blood-derived EV miR-200 is an independent risk factor for early-stage NSCLC and is of high clinical diagnostic value for early-stage NSCLC.

CRISPR/Cas12a cleavage triggered nanoflower for fluorescence-free and target amplification-free biosensing of ctDNA in the terahertz frequencies

The detection of tumor biomarkers in liquid biopsies requires high sensitivity and low-cost biosensing strategies. However, few traditional techniques can satisfy the requirements of target amplification-free and fluorescence-free at the same time. In this study, we have proposed a novel strategy for ctDNA detection with the combination of terahertz spectroscopy and the CRISPR/Cas12 system. The CRISPR/Cas12a system is activated by the target ctDNA, resulting in a series of reactions leading to the formation of an Au-Fe complex. This complex is easily extracted with magnets and when dropped onto the terahertz metamaterial sensor, it can enhance the frequency shift, providing sensitive and selective sensing of the target ctDNA. Results show that the proposed terahertz biosensor exhibits a relatively low detection limit of 0.8 fM and a good selectivity over interference species. This detection limit is improved by three orders of magnitude compared with traditional biosensing methods using terahertz waves. Furthermore, a ctDNA concentration of 100 fM has been successfully detected in bovine serum (corresponding to 50 fM in the final reaction system) without amplification.

Clinical application value of long non-coding RNAs signatures of genomic instability in predicting prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents challenges due to its high recurrence and metastasis rates and poor prognosis. While current clinical diagnostic and prognostic indicators exist, their accuracy remains imperfect due to their biological complexity. Therefore, there is a quest to identify improved biomarkers for HCC diagnosis and prognosis. By combining long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression and somatic mutations, Duan et al identified five representative lncRNAs from 88 lncRNAs related to genomic instability (GI), forming a GI-derived lncRNA signature (LncSig). This signature outperforms previously reported LncSig and TP53 mutations in predicting HCC prognosis. In this editorial, we comprehensively evaluate the clinical application value of such prognostic evaluation model based on sequencing technology in terms of cost, time, and practicability. Additionally, we provide an overview of various prognostic models for HCC, aiding in a comprehensive understanding of research progress in prognostic evaluation methods.

Advancements and Perspectives in Optical Biosensors

Optical biosensors exhibit immense potential, offering extraordinary possibilities for biosensing due to their high sensitivity, reusability, and ultrafast sensing capabilities. This review provides a concise overview of optical biosensors, encompassing various platforms, operational mechanisms, and underlying physics, and it summarizes recent advancements in the field. Special attention is given to plasmonic biosensors and metasurface-based biosensors, emphasizing their significant performance in bioassays and, thus, their increasing attraction in biosensing research, positioning them as excellent candidates for lab-on-chip and point-of-care devices. For plasmonic biosensors, we emphasize surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and its subcategories, along with localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) devices and surface enhance Raman spectroscopy (SERS), highlighting their ability to perform diverse bioassays. Additionally, we discuss recently emerged metasurface-based biosensors. Toward the conclusion of this review, we address current challenges, opportunities, and prospects in optical biosensing. Considering the advancements and advantages presented by optical biosensors, it is foreseeable that they will become a robust and widespread platform for early disease diagnostics.

Specific detection of CA242 by antibody-modified chiral symmetric double "N" metasurface biosensor

In this work, a biosensor based on Fano resonance metasurface is proposed for the specific detection of CA242 which is a typical marker of pancreatic cancer. The biosensor consists of a chiral symmetric plasma double "N" structure, which utilises coherent coupling of bright and dark modes to generate Fano resonance, achieving suppression of radiation loss, concentrating and storing energy more efficiently in the structure, and contributing to increased sensitivity to changes in ambient refractive index, resulting in a sensitivity of the sensor of up to 842.8 nm /RIU. After a series of antibody functionalization modifications, the metasurface has become an immune biosensor that can specifically detect the tumor marker CA242 of pancreatic cancer. The detection of mixed and single antigen solutions with different concentrations has verified the high sensitivity, high specificity, and high linear relationship of the biosensor to CA242, and the detection limit is as low as 0.0692 ng/mL. It is superior to other common methods and breaks the traditional disadvantages of lower detection accuracy and greater damage in tumour detection methods. The detection of the wavelength shift of localized surface plasmon resonance in plasma metasurface has been successfully applied to the highly sensitive detection of tumor markers. This study demonstrates the sensitivity and maneuverability of the chiral symmetric double "N" plasmonic metasurface biosensor, suggesting the potential application of metamaterials in biosensing based on environmental refractive index changes.

Simultaneous detection method for two cardiac disease protein biomarkers on a single chip modified with mixed aptamers using surface plasmon resonance

A simultaneous detection method for two cardiac disease protein biomarkers present in serum samples on a single planar gold chip using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is described. The detection of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), which are known as acute myocardial infarction (AMI) biomarkers, with predetermined clinically relevant concentrations was performed using mixed aptamers specific to each protein tethered on a single gold surface. After the binding of NT-proBNP and/or TNF-α to the mixed aptamers, an antibody specific to each target protein was injected to form a surface sandwich complex to improve selectivity. In order to adjust the dynamic ranges in the known clinically relevant concentration significantly different for NT-proBNP (0.13-0.24 nM) and TNF-α (0.5-3 pM), the surface density ratios of the corresponding pair of aptamer and antibody were first systematically determined, which were the 1:1 mixed aptamer chip with 40 nM anti-NT-proBNP and 100 nM anti-TNF-α. This allowed to establish the distinct dynamic ranges of 0.05-0.5 nM for NT-proBNP and 0.1-5 pM for TNF-α in a buffer, along with detection and quantification limits of 0.03 and 0.19 nM for NT-proBNP and 0.06 and 0.21 pM for TNF-α, respectively. The changes in refractive unit (RU) values observed when exposing both proteins at different concentrations alongside the corresponding fixed concentration of antibodies onto the 1:1 mixed aptamer chip were then correlated to the sum of RU values measured when using the injection of individual protein for evaluating each protein concentration. With a complete characterization of the simultaneous quantification of two protein concentrations in the buffer, the mixed aptamer chip was finally employed for direct measurements of NT-proBNP and TNF-α concentrations in undiluted serum samples from healthy controls and AMI patients. The results of simultaneous SPR measurements for the two proteins in the serum samples were further compared to the individual protein concentration results using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Evaluating combined bevacizumab and XELOX in advanced colorectal cancer: Serum markers carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 125, carbohydrate antigen 199 analysis

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer ranks third and second among common and fatal cancers. The treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is generally based on XELOX in clinical practice, which includes capecitabine (CAP) and oxaliplatin. Serum tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 125 and CA199 are prognostic factors for various tumors.

AIM

To investigate evaluating combined bevacizumab (BEV) and XELOX in advanced colorectal cancer: Serum markers CEA, CA125, CA199 analysis.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, a total of 94 elderly patients diagnosed with mCRC were recruited and subsequently categorized into two groups based on the distinct treatment modalities they received. The control group was treated with XELOX plus CAP (n = 47), while the observation group was treated with XELOX plus CAP and BEV (n = 47). Several indexes were assessed in both groups, including disease control rate (DCR), incidence of adverse effects, serum marker levels (CEA, CA125, and CA19) and progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

After 9 wk of treatment, the serum levels of CEA, CA199 and CA125 in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the PFS of the observation group (9.12 ± 0.90 mo) was significantly longer than that of the control group (6.49 ± 0.64 mo). Meanwhile, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions and DCR between the two groups during maintenance therapy (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

On the basis of XELOX treatment, the combination of BEV and CAP can reduce serum tumor marker levels and prolong PFS in patients with mCRC.

High specificity THz metamaterial-based biosensor for label-free transcription factor detection in melanoma diagnostics

In this work, we present a promising diagnostic tool for melanoma diagnosis. With the proposed terahertz biosensor, it was possible to selectively and sensitively detect the early growth response protein 2, a transcription factor with an increased activity in melanoma cells, from a complex sample of cellular proteins. Fundamentally, the sensor belongs to the frequency selective surface type metamaterials and consists of a two-dimensional array of asymmetrically, doubly split ring resonator unit cells. The single elements are slits in a metallic layer and are complemented by an undercut etch. This allows a selective functionalization of the active area of the sensor and increases the sensitivity towards the target analyte. Hereby, specific detection of a defined transcription factor is feasible.

Switchable metasurface for high-efficiency absorption and broadband polarization conversion based on vanadium dioxide in the terahertz frequency

High-performance devices with superior execution will facilitate the practical application of terahertz (THz) technology and foster THz innovation. In this paper, taking advantage of the phase transition characteristics of vanadium dioxide (V O 2), a reconfigurable metasurface with absorption and polarization conversion capacities is proposed. The metallic condition of V O 2 results in the formation of a wideband absorber. It provides more than 90% absorption over a broad spectral range from 3.32 to 5.30 THz. Due to the regularity of the meta-atom, the absorber is not polarization-delicate and keeps a high retention rate in the scope of incoming angles from 0° to 45°. When V O 2 is in the insulating condition, the calculated outcomes demonstrate that the cross-polarization conversion rate can reach more than 90% in the range of 2.29-7.85 THz when x-polarized or y-polarized waves are incident vertically. The proposed metasurface is likely to be used in the fields of emitters, sensors, imaging systems, and wireless communication.

Progress in application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy for pharmaceutical analyses

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy is an analytical method using terahertz time-domain pulses to study the physical and chemical properties of substances. It has strong potential for application in pharmaceutical analyses as an original non-destructive, efficient and convenient technology for spectral detection. This review briefly introduces the working principle of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy technology, focuses on the research achievements of this technology in analyses of chemical drugs, traditional Chinese medicine and biological drugs in the past decade. We also reveal the scientific feasibility of practical application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy for pharmaceutical detection. Finally, we discuss the problems in practical application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy technology, and the prospect of further development of this technology in pharmaceutical analyses. We hope that this review can provide a reference for application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy technology in pharmaceutical analyses in the future.

Retrospective efficacy analysis of olaparib combined with bevacizumab in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly prevalent malignancy of the digestive tract worldwide, characterized by a significant morbidity and mortality rate and subtle initial symptoms. Diarrhea, local abdominal pain, and hematochezia occur with the development of cancer, while systemic symptoms such as anemia and weight loss occur in patients with advanced CRC. Without timely interventions, the disease can have fatal consequences within a short span. The current therapeutic options for colon cancer include olaparib and bevacizumab, which are widely utilized. This study intends to evaluate the clinical efficacy of olaparib combined with bevacizumab in the treatment of advanced CRC, hoping to provide insights into advanced CRC treatment.

AIM

To investigate the retrospective efficacy of olaparib combined with bevacizumab in the treatment of advanced CRC.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 82 patients with advanced colon cancer who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of South China between January 2018 and October 2019. Among them, 43 patients subjected to the classical FOLFOX chemotherapy regimen were selected as the control group, and 39 patients undergoing treatment with olaparib combined with bevacizumab were selected as the observation group. Subsequent to different treatment regimens, the short-term efficacy, time to progression (TTP), and incidence rate of adverse reactions between the two groups were compared. Changes in serum-related indicators [vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloprotein-9 (MMP-9), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)] and tumor markers [human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199)] levels before and after treatment were compared between the two groups at the same time.

RESULTS

The objective response rate was discovered to be 82.05%, and the disease control rate was 97.44% in the observation group, which were significantly higher than the respective rates of 58.14% and 83.72% in the control group (P < 0.05). The median TTP was 24 mo (95%CI: 19.987-28.005) in the control group and 37 mo (95%CI: 30.854-43.870) in the observation group. The TTP in the observation group was significantly better than that in the control group, and the difference held statistical significance (log-rank test value = 5.009, P = 0.025). Before treatment, no substantial difference was detected in serum VEGF, MMP-9, and COX-2 levels and tumor markers HE4, CA125, and CA199 levels between the two groups (P > 0.05). Following treatment with different regimens, the above indicators in the two groups were remarkably promoted (P < 0.05), VEGF, MMP-9, and COX-2 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and HE4, CA125, and CA199 levels were also lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Vis-à-vis the control group, the total incidence of gastrointestinal reactions, thrombosis, bone marrow suppression, liver and kidney function injury, and other adverse reactions in the observation group was notably lowered, with the difference considered statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Olaparib combined with bevacizumab in the treatment of advanced CRC demonstrates a strong clinical effect of delaying disease progression and reducing the serum levels of VEGF, MMP-9, COX-2 and tumor markers HE4, CA125 and CA199. Moreover, given its fewer adverse reactions, it can be regarded as a safe and reliable treatment option.

Specific detection of n-propanol gas via terahertz metasurface sensor modified by molecularly imprinted polymer

As an organic substance, n-propanol gas has been paid attention to in environmental monitoring and exhalation of lung cancer patient. In this paper a rapid detection method for n-propanol gas is developed based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) and terahertz (THz) metasurface sensors. We first prepared a MIP suitable for detecting the n-propanol gas. And then the n-propanol MIP was modified to the THz metasurface sensor for detecting the n-propanol gas. Since the MIP adsorbed with n-propanol changes the dielectric environment of the sensor, the resonance frequency of the sensor also change. So we based on the n-propanol concentration was analyzed according to the change in resonance frequency. The experimental results showed that the sensor can effectively detect the n-propanol concentration in the range of 50-500 ppm (parts per million). In addition, we also verified the specificity and repeatability of the sensor. This work provides a new idea and method for the sensitive and specific detection of n-propanol gas.

Revolutionary approaches for cancer diagnosis by terahertz-based spectroscopy and imaging

Most tumors are easily missed and misdiagnosed due to the lack of specific clinical signs and symptoms in the early stage. Thus, an accurate, rapid and reliable early tumor detection method is highly desirable. The application of terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and imaging in biomedicine has made remarkable progress in the past two decades, which addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies and provides an alternative for early tumor diagnosis. Although issues such as size mismatch and strong absorption of THz waves by water have set hurdles for cancer diagnosis by THz technology, innovative materials and biosensors in recent years have led to possibilities for new THz biosensing and imaging methods. In this article, we reviewed the issues that need to be solved before THz technology is used for tumor-related biological sample detection and clinical auxiliary diagnosis. We focused on the recent research progress of THz technology, with an emphasis on biosensing and imaging. Finally, the application of THz spectroscopy and imaging for tumor diagnosis in clinical practice and the main challenges in this process were also mentioned. Collectively, THz-based spectroscopy and imaging reviewed here is envisioned as a cutting-edge approach for cancer diagnosis.

Quantitative protein sensing with germanium THz-antennas manufactured using CMOS processes

The development of a CMOS manufactured THz sensing platform could enable the integration of state-of-the-art sensing principles with the mixed signal electronics ecosystem in small footprint, low-cost devices. To this aim, in this work we demonstrate a label-free protein sensing platform using highly doped germanium plasmonic antennas realized on Si and SOI substrates and operating in the THz range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The antenna response to different concentrations of BSA shows in both cases a linear response with saturation above 20 mg/mL. Ge antennas on SOI substrates feature a two-fold sensitivity as compared to conventional Si substrates, reaching a value of 6 GHz/(mg/mL), which is four-fold what reported using metal-based metamaterials. We believe that this result could pave the way to a low-cost lab-on-a-chip biosensing platform.