An impedimetric biosensor for the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma based on the interaction between 3-aminophenyl boronic acid and sialic acid

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) often expresses a high density of sialic acid-rich glycoproteins which helps these late-stage cancer cells to enter the blood stream or urine. Blood diagnosis is a complex and time-consuming process. In this study, we developed a facile and non-invasive electrochemical cytosensor for early detection of RCC in urine samples based on specific recognition by 3-aminophenyl boronic acid (APBA). Polypyrrole (PPy) and bovine serum albumin (BSA)-incorporated Ag submicron particles (Ag@BSA) were co-deposited on a gold electrode (GE) to take advantages of the excellent properties of these biomaterials, including good biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity and excellent electro-conductivity. To further increase the biosensor's sensitivity, APBA molecules were integrated to recognize sialic acid (SA) on the cell surface. Under optimal conditions, the impedimetric cytosensor exhibited a good linear relationship with the logarithm of the cell concentration from 17 to 1.7×106 cells mL−1, and the low detection limit was 6 cells mL−1 (S/N=3). Therefore, the electrochemical impedimetric biosensor offers a potential approach to bedside rapid detection of RCC in clinical applications.