Advanced electrocatalytic materials based biosensors for cancer cell detection - A review

Herein, we have highlighted the latest developments on biosensors for cancer cell detection. Electrochemical (EC) biosensors offer several advantages such as high sensitivity, selectivity, rapid analysis, portability, low-cost, etc. Generally, biosensors could be classified into other basic categories such as immunosensors, aptasensors, cytosensors, electrochemiluminescence (ECL), and photo-electrochemical (PEC) sensors. The significance of the EC biosensors is that they could detect several biomolecules in human body including cholesterol, glucose, lactate, uric acid, DNA, blood ketones, hemoglobin, and others. Recently, various EC biosensors have been developed by using electrocatalytic materials such as silver sulfide (Ag2S), black phosphene (BPene), hexagonal carbon nitrogen tube (HCNT), carbon dots (CDs)/cobalt oxy-hydroxide (CoOOH), cuprous oxide (Cu2O), polymer dots (PDs), manganese oxide (MnO2), graphene derivatives, and gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs). In some cases, these newly developed biosensors could be able to detect cancer cells with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 cell/mL. In addition, many remaining challenges have to be addressed and validated by testing more real samples and confirm that these EC biosensors are more accurate and reliable to measure cancer cells in the blood and salivary samples.

Automated summary

In this article, the latest developments in biosensors for cancer cell detection are highlighted. Electrochemical (EC) biosensors provide advantages such as high sensitivity, selectivity, rapid analysis, portability, and low-cost. Different types of biosensors, including immunosensors, aptasensors, cytosensors, electrochemiluminescence (ECL), and photo-electrochemical (PEC) sensors, can be classified. The significance of EC biosensors lies in their ability to detect various biomolecules in the human body, including cholesterol, glucose, lactate, uric acid, DNA, blood ketones, hemoglobin, and others. Recently, EC biosensors have been developed using electrocatalytic materials such as Ag2S, BPene, HCNT, CDs/CoOOH, Cu2O, PDs, MnO2, graphene derivatives, and Au-NPs. These biosensors have shown potential for detecting cancer cells with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 cell/mL. However, more real samples need to be tested to verify the accuracy and reliability of these EC biosensors in measuring cancer cells in blood and salivary samples.