Identification of early stage and metastatic prostate cancer using electrochemical detection of beta-2-microglobulin in urine samples from patients

To improve prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis, it is imperative to identify novel biomarkers and establish effective screening techniques. Here, we introduce electrochemical biosensing of & beta;-2-Microglobulin (& beta;2M) in urine as a potential diagnostic tool for PCa. The immunosensor is composed of a screen-printed graphene electrode coated with anti & beta;2M antibodies. The sensor is capable of detecting the protein directly in urine without any sample pretreatment within 45 min including sample incubation and a lower limit of detection of 204 & mu;g/L. The sensor demonstrated a significant difference in the & beta;2M-creatinine ratio in urine between control and both local- and metastatic PCa (mPCa) (P = 0.0302 and P = 0.0078 respectively), and between local- and mPCa (P = 0.0302). This first example of electrochemical sensing of & beta;2M for the diagnosis of PCa may set the stage for an affordable, on-site screening technique for PCa.

Automated summary

By using electrochemical biosensing, the detection of β-2-Microglobulin (β2M) in urine is introduced as a potential diagnostic tool for prostate cancer (PCa). The sensor is capable of directly detecting the protein in urine without any sample pretreatment within 45 min, with a lower limit of detection of 204 μg/L. This electrochemical sensing approach may pave the way for an affordable, on-site PCa screening technique.