A new method based on guanine rich aptamer structural change for carcinoembryonic antigen detection

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is one of the most widely used tumor marker around the world, it mainly used for gastrointestinal cancers, especially in colorectal malignancy. At present, the detection methods of CEA are mostly based on antigen-antibody binding, whereas these methods were limited by the high costs and long waiting times in massive population tumor screening. During the experiments, we interestingly found that the fluorescence signal would be dramatically altered when the secondary structure of fluorescent modified guanine rich DNA changed. Then we explored the reasons and established a new method for CEA detection, this method brings a simple, fast and cheap sensing platform for detection of biomarkers. It has great potential in screening of tumors among the group and is expected to provide prospective effects for tumor treatment.

Automated summary

CEA is a widely used tumor marker, especially for gastrointestinal cancers like colorectal malignancy. The current methods for CEA detection are limited by high costs and long waiting times. By altering the secondary structure of fluorescent modified DNA, a new method for CEA detection was established, providing a simple, fast, and cheap sensing platform for biomarkers detection. This method shows great potential in tumor screening among populations and may have prospective effects on tumor treatment.