Preparation of electrochemical sensor based on gold nanostructures modified screen-printed electrode for the study of prostate cancer gene sequence interaction with epirubicin anti-cancer drug

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men in recent years [1]. Biosensors are small devices employing biochemical with molecular recognition properties as a basis for selective analysis. Biosensors offer exciting opportunities for numerous decentralized clinical applications, due to their specificity, speed, portability and low cost [2]. The aim of this project is to identify the prostate cancer gene DNA sequence by using a simple and accurate method. Anthracycline antibiotics, derived from Streptomyces bacterium are the most effective anticancer treatments which used in cancer chemotherapy [3]. Among them, Epirubicin (EPI) has been widely used to treat leukemia, PCa, lymphoma and a variety of cancers, but clinical utilization of EPI is confined, because of dose related cardio toxicity and bone marrow suppression [4]. Therefore, it is highly desirable to promote a highly sensitive, fast and selective method for detection and quantification of EPI for clinical diagnosis and attaining the best possible therapeutic effects. A simple, rapid and label-free electrochemical biosensor for the ultrasensitive detection of EPI has been developed using the PCa gene DNA sequence on the carbon screen-printed electrode, which modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs/SPE). The interactions of epirubicin with this electrochemical biosensor have been studied by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The cathodic peak current of EPI linearly increased by the addition of EPI in concentration ranges of about 0.04 - 0.8 μM and 0.8 - 20.0 μM and the estimated detection limit of the EPI was 0.003 μM. The result showed that epirubicin as a drug is able to stabilize PCa gene sequence DNA and binding constants for this interaction is 5.82×105 M.

Keywords:

Prostate cancer , Electrochemical biosensor , Epirubicin , Carbon screen-printed electrode , gold nanoparticles