Construction of electrochemiluminescence biosensor for monitoring of glutathione released by living cancer cells

Abnormal glutathione (GSH) levels are directly related to specific diseases. Therefore, the highly sensitive detection of GSH has attracted extensive attention of researchers. Here, we reported a novel electro-chemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor platform based on AgGaS2 quantum dots (AGS QDs) for sensitive detection of GSH released by living cancer cells. Firstly, the preparation and photoluminescence of AGS QDs were studied. Then, ECL biosensor based on AGS QDs was constructed and applied to the detection of GSH released by MCF-7 cells. The experimental results showed that the ECL biosensor can sensitively detect GSH directly released by living cancer cells in situ. This work not only provides a promising choice for developing ECL with low toxicity and good biocompatibility, but also can be extended to detect other molecules released by cells, which is conducive to the in-depth study of pathophysiology.

Automated summary

We reported a novel ECL biosensor platform based on AGS QDs for sensitive detection of GSH released by living cancer cells. The biosensor showed promising potential with low toxicity and good biocompatibility, and could be extended to detect other molecules.