Electrochemical Biosensors for Cancer Biomarkers Detection: Recent Advances and Challenges

Biomarkers are described as characteristics that provide information about biological conditions whether normal or pathological. Detection of biomarkers at the earliest stage of the cancer is of utmost importance for clinical diagnosis. Electrochemical biosensors allow detecting the low levels of specific analytes in blood, urine or saliva and providing a sensitive approach for direct measurement for cancer biomarker detection. Moreover, the integration of electrochemical devices with nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, gold and magnetic particles offer amplification and multiplexing capabilities for simultaneous measurements of cancer biomarkers very sensitively. This review summarizes the recent developments of electrochemical biosensors systems for the detection of cancer biomarkers with emphasis on voltammetric, amperometric and impedimetric biosensors. A special attention is paid to aptamers and miRNAs that are very promising for the ultra‐sensitive and specific cancer biomarker detection.     

Verification of protein biomarker specificity for the identification of biological stains by quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Advances in proteomics technology over the past decade offer forensic serologists a greatly improved opportunity to accurately characterize the tissue source from which a DNA profile has been developed. Such information can provide critical context to evidence and can help to prioritize downstream DNA analyses. Previous proteome studies compiled panels of “candidate biomarkers” specific to each of five body fluids (i.e ., peripheral blood, vaginal/menstrual fluid, seminal fluid, urine, and saliva). Here, a multiplex quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry assay has been developed in order to verify the tissue/body fluid specificity the 23 protein biomarkers that comprise these panels and the consistency with which they can be detected across a sample population of 50 humans. Single‐source samples of these human body fluids were accurately identified by the detection of one or more high‐specificity biomarkers. Recovery of body fluid samples from a variety of substrates did not impede accurate characterization and, of the potential inhibitors assayed, only chewing tobacco juice appeared to preclude the identification of a target body fluid. Using a series of 2‐component mixtures of human body fluids, the multiplex assay accurately identified both components in a single‐pass. Only in the case of saliva and peripheral blood did matrix effects appear to impede the detection of salivary proteins.     

Bioanalytical methods for metabolomic profiling: Detection of head and neck cancer,including oral cancer

Metabolomics is an emerging field dealing with the measurement and interpretation of small molecular byproducts of biochemical processes, or metabolites, which can be used to generate profiles from biological samples. Promising for use in pathophysiology, metabolomic profiles give the immediate biological state of a sample. These profiles are altered in diseases and are detectable in biological samples, such as tissue, blood, urine, saliva, and others. Most remarkably, metabolic profiles usually are altered before symptoms appear in a patient. For this reason, metabolomics has potential as a reliable method for an early diagnosis of diseases through disease biomarker identification. This application is most prevalent in cancer, such as head and neck cancer (HNC). Metabolomic studies offer avenues to improve on current medical techniques through the application of mass spectrometry (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and statistical analysis to determine better biomarkers than those currently known. In this review, we discuss the use of MS and NMR tools for detecting biomarkers in tissue and fluid samples, and the appropriateness of metabolomics in analyzing cancer. Advantages, disadvantages, and recent studies on metabolomic profiling techniques in HNC analysis are also discussed herein.     

Design of high stability thin-film transistor biosensor for the diagnosis of bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is the most common malignant tumor in the urinary system,with high morbidity,mortality and recurrence after surgery.However,current bladder cancer urine diagnosis methods are limited by the low accuracy and specificity due to the low abundance of bladder cancer biomarkers in the urine with complex biological environments.Herein,we present a high stability indium gallium zinc oxide field effect transistor(IGZO-FET) biosensor for efficient identification of bladder cancer biomarkers from human urine samples.The recognition molecular functionalized IGZO-FET biosensor exhibits stable electronic and sensing performance due to the large-area fabrication of IGZO thin-film FET.Owing to the excellent electrical performance of IGZO-FET,the IGZO-FET biosensor exhibits high sensitivity and extremely low detection limit(2.7 amol/L) towards bladder cancer biomarkers.The IGZO-FET biosensor is also able to directly detect bladder tumor biomarker in human urine with high sensitivity and specificity,and could differentiate bladder cancer patients' urine samples from healthy donors effectively.These results indicate that our designed high-performance biosensor shows great potential in the application of portable digital bladder cancer diagnosis devices.     

Aberrant proteins in the saliva of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

Confirmation of oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC) currently relies on histological analysis, which does not provide clear indication of cancer development from precancerous lesions. In the present study, whole saliva proteins of patients with OSCC (n = 12) and healthy subjects (n = 12) were separated by 2DE to identify potential candidate biomarkers that are much needed to improve detection of the cancer. The OSCC patients’ 2DE saliva protein profiles appeared unique and different from those obtained from the healthy subjects. The patients’ saliva α1‐antitrypsin (AAT) and haptoglobin (HAP) β chains were resolved into polypeptide spots with increased microheterogeneity, although these were not apparent in their sera. Their 2DE protein profiles also showed presence of hemopexin and α‐1B glycoprotein, which were not detected in the profiles of the control saliva. When subjected to densitometry analysis, significant altered levels of AAT, complement C3, transferrin, transthyretin, and β chains of fibrinogen and HAP were detected. The increased levels of saliva AAT, HAP, complement C3, hemopexin, and transthyretin in the OSCC patients were validated by ELISA. The strong association of AAT and HAP with OSCC was further supported by immunohistochemical staining of cancer tissues. The differently expressed saliva proteins may be useful complementary biomarkers for the early detection and/or monitoring of OSCC, although this requires validation in clinically representative populations.     

Proteomic identification of salivary transferrin as a biomarker for early detection of oral cancer

Oral cancer has a low five-year survival rate. Early detection of oral cancer could reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with this disease. Saliva, which can be sampled non-invasively and is less complex than blood, is a good potential source of oral cancer biomarkers. Proteomic analysis of saliva from oral cancer patients and control subjects was performed to identify salivary biomarkers of early stage oral cancer in humans. The protein profile of pooled salivary samples from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) or OSCC-free control subjects was analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analyses. Potential biomarkers were verified by Western blotting and ELISA assays. Transferrin levels were elevated in the saliva of OSCC patients as determined using 2DE followed by MALDI-TOF MS and confirmed by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, Western blotting and ELISA. The increase in salivary transferrin levels in OSCC patients strongly correlated with the size and stage of the tumor. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curves showed that salivary transferrin-based ELISA was highly specific, sensitive and accurate for the early detection of oral cancer. We have identified salivary transferrin as a biomarker for the detection of early stage oral cancer. This finding provides a promising basis for the development of a non-invasive diagnostic test for early stage oral cancer.     

Comprehensive fluorogenic derivatization–liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry proteomic analysis of colorectal cancer cell to identify biomarker candidate

Existing colorectal cancer biomarkers are insufficient for providing a quick and accurate diagnosis, which is critical for a good prognosis. More appropriate biomarkers are thus needed. To identify new colorectal cancer biomarker candidates, we conducted a comprehensive differential proteomic analysis of six cancer cell lines and a normal cell line, utilizing a fluorogenic derivatization–liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (FD‐LC‐MS/MS) approach. Two sets of intracellular biomarker candidates were identified: one for colorectal cancer, and the other for metastatic colorectal cancer. Our results suggest that cooperative expression of FABP5 and cyclophilin A might be linked to Her2 signaling. Upregulation of LDHB and downregulation of GAPDH suggest the existence of a specific nonglycolytic energy production pathway in metastatic colorectal cancer cells. Downregulation of 14‐3‐3ζ/δ, cystatin‐B, Ran and thioredoxin could be a result of their secretion, which then stimulates metastasis via activity in the sera and ascitic fluids. We propose a possible flow scheme to describe the dynamics of protein expression in colorectal cancer cells leading to tumor progression and metastasis via cell proliferation, angiogenesis, disorganization of actin filaments and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Our results suggest that colorectal tumor progression may be regulated by signaling mediated by Her2, hypoxia, and TGFβ. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

From Chemistry to Translational Medicine: The Application of Proteomics to Cancer Biomarker Discovery and Diagnosis

The study of complex protein mixtures and their interactions in cells and tissues has been difficult due to the tedious process involved in their characterization and analysis. The recent emergence of fast‐evolving and state‐of‐the‐art proteomics methodologies has provided a rapid and scalable platform for understanding the comprehensive proteome profiles from complex whole tissues or cells of various biological sources. Therefore, proteomics has been increasingly valuable to examine real‐time changes in protein expression of various tissues or body fluids from patients with various diseases, especially cancer, resulting in the identification of clinically useful biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and disease staging. In this review, we focus on potential biomarkers for (1) Helicobacter pylori‐associated gastric cancer, (2) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and (3) renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In addition to the conventional gel‐based proteomics (1‐D or 2‐D gels), we have utilized a more advanced proteomic approach by incorporating stable isotope dimethyl labelling and shotgun proteomics strategy in combination with nanoliquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC‐MS/MS) to better characterize the biomarkers in several cancer tissues. By establishing a high‐throughput proteomics platform based on multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), we have successfully detected and analyzed potential protein markers at low concentrations in various normal and tumor tissues. This platform not only highlights the utility of proteomics for biomarker discovery but also can be uniquely applied to disease‐oriented translational medicine for diagnosis of diverse types of cancers and other diseases.     

Electrochemical Biosensing in Cancer Diagnostics and Follow‐up

In cancer, screening and early detection are critical for the success of the patient's treatment and to increase the survival rate. The development of analytical tools for non‐invasive detection, through the analysis of cancer biomarkers, is imperative for disease diagnosis, treatment and follow‐up. Tumour biomarkers refer to substances or processes that, in clinical settings, are indicative of the presence of cancer in the body. These biomarkers can be detected using biosensors, that, because of their fast, accurate and point of care applicability, are prominent alternatives to the traditional methods. Moreover, the constant innovations in the biosensing field improve the determination of normal and/or elevated levels of tumour biomarkers in patients’ biological fluids (such as serum, plasma, whole blood, urine, etc.). Although several biomarkers (DNA, RNA, proteins, cells) are known, the detection of proteins and circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are the most commonly reported due to their approval as tumour biomarkers by the specialized entities and commonly accepted for diagnosis by medical and clinical teams. Therefore, electrochemical immunosensors and cytosensors are vastly described in this review, because of their fast, simple and accurate detection, the low sample volumes required, and the excellent limits of detection obtained. The biosensing strategies reported for the six most commonly diagnosed cancers (lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, liver and stomach) are summarized and the distinct phases of the sensors’ constructions (surface modification, antibody immobilization, immunochemical interactions, detection approach) and applications are discussed.     

Murine fecal proteomics: A model system for the detection of potential biomarkers for colorectal cancer

Tumor related products shed into the feces offer a potential source of biomarkers for the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC). Using SDS-PAGE followed by nanoflow reversed-phased LC–MS/MS to analyse fecal samples from Apc^Min/+ mice (that develop spontaneous multiple intestinal neoplasia with age) we have identified 336 proteins (115 proteins of murine origin, 201 from fecal bacteria, 18 associated with food intake and 2 of apparent parasitic origin). 75% of the murine proteins identified in this study are predicted to be extracellular or associated with the cell plasma membrane. Of these proteins, a number of the murine homologues of colorectal cancer associated proteins (CCAP) such as hemoglobin, haptoglobin, hemopexin, alpha-2-macroglobulin and cadherin-17 have been identified, demonstrating the potential of fecal proteomics for detecting potential biomarkers and paving the way for subsequent MS/MS based biomarker studies on similar human samples.     

Down-regulation of Vinculin in Human Colorectal Carcinoma Identified by Proteomics Analysis

In the present study, we aimed to globally profile the proteins involved in colorectal carcinoma(CRC), in order to find clues to the pathological process of CRC. Pairs of malignant tissues and their adjacent healthy tissues from patients with colorectal cancer were subject to differential proteomics analysis. Two dimensional electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry(2-DE/MS) was used to identify differentially expressed proteins between pairs of tissue samples. A list of proteins relevant to the progression of colorectal tumor was identified by two dimensional gel electrophoresis(2-DE)-based proteomics approach. Among the identified proteins, vinculin was found to be remarkably down-regulated in colorectal carcinoma tissues. In addition, three phosphorylation modifications within the isolated vinculin were identified by in-depth liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS) analysis. Our results provide a basis for further understanding the pathological significance of vinculin in the regulation of carcinogenesis, invasion and metastasis of colorectal tumors.     

凝胶电泳-毛细管液相色谱-质谱联用技术分析大肠癌肿瘤与癌旁组织的差异蛋白质组

通过凝胶电泳将大肠癌患者的手术标本组织(肿瘤与癌旁)中的总蛋白按照分子量分成不同的组分,经胶内水解后,利用毛细管液相色谱-质谱联用技术对各个组分的多肽混合物进行蛋白质组学分析,共鉴定出29种差异表达的蛋白质,其中肿瘤组织中表达上调的蛋白质19种,如Fibrinogen beta chain,Vimentin,Fi-brinogen gamma chain,Histone H2A type 1-B/E,Isoform 1 of Periostin,Fibrinogen alpha chain,Histone H3.1,Al-pha-enolase,Protein disulfide-isomerase A3等;在肿瘤组织中表达下调的有10种蛋白质,如Sarcomeric tropomy-osin kappa,Transgelin,Heat shock protein beta-1,Talin-1,Isoform 2 of Vinculin,Isoform 1 of Filamin-C等.通过蛋白质印迹实验对其中的踝蛋白1(Talin-1)和烯醇化酶(Alpha-enolase)的蛋白质组学鉴定结果进行了验证.生物信息学分析表明在大肠癌组织中表达上调的蛋白多具有胞外分泌的属性,提示这些蛋白很有可能会渗透到机体内的循环系统中,从而在患者血液或者腹水中能够被检测到;而在大肠癌组织中表达下调的蛋白则多为细胞骨架、胞外基质纤维等的组成成分,这些蛋白的下调常与肿瘤细胞向周围组织的侵袭和转移有密切关系.本研究为大肠癌的早期诊断、大肠癌初筛等方面的研究等提供了基础数据,对进一步深入研究大肠癌发病机制具有重要意义.     

Electroanalysis of Interleukins 1β, 6, and 12 in Biological Samples Using a Needle Stochastic Sensor Based on Nanodiamond Paste

Interleukins proved to be valuable biomarkers for different diseases. Interleukins 1β, 6, and 12 can be used as biomarkers for brain cancer diagnosis, and therefore this paper proposed a needle stochastic sensor based on protoporphyrin IX immobilized in nanodiamond paste for fast screening of biological samples such as whole blood, urine and brain tumoral tissue for these interleukins. The results obtained using this needle stochastic sensor proved that the interleukins 1β, 6, and 12 can be reliable determined from whole blood, urine and brain tumoral tissue, with recoveries higher than 96.00 %, with relative standard deviations lower than 1.00 %.     

Quantitative Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics for Biomarker Development in Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy among women. Approximately 70–80% of patients with advanced ovarian cancer experience relapse within five years and develop platinum-resistance. The short life expectancy of patients with platinum-resistant or platinum-refractory disease underscores the need to develop new and more effective treatment strategies. Early detection is a critical step in mitigating the risk of disease progression from early to an advanced stage disease, and protein biomarkers have an integral role in this process. The best biological diagnostic tool for ovarian cancer will likely be a combination of biomarkers. Targeted proteomics methods, including mass spectrometry-based approaches, have emerged as robust methods that can address the chasm between initial biomarker discovery and the successful verification and validation of these biomarkers enabling their clinical translation due to the robust sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of these versatile methods. In this review, we provide background information on the fundamental principles of biomarkers and the need for improved treatment strategies in ovarian cancer. We also provide insight into the ways in which mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomics approaches can provide greatly needed solutions to many of the challenges related to ovarian cancer biomarker development.     

Proteomics of human cancer tissues and cells

Proteomic analysis of cancer tissues and cells provides valuable information to identify promising targets for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. Novel strategies have emerged to optimize the workflow of tissue procurement, and tissue and cell selection, and to improve protocols for the extraction of protein from fresh, frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue. Moreover, in the context of advanced approaches to proteomics, mass spectrometry and array-based technologies strongly contribute to protein profiling of cancer tissues and cells.The focus of this review is the methods by which all the steps of a proteomic investigation on human-cancer tissue (from choice of the experimental model to validation of candidate biomarkers) should be performed, paying particular attention to recently developed strategies. The review also presents an overview of the most recent high-throughput proteomic studies in cancer research.     

Proteomics Analysis of Up-regulated NPM1 Protein in Colorectal Cancer

In order to identify potential protein targets involved in colorectal cancer(CRC), we used a liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry(LC-MS)/MS-based proteomics approach to characterize global protein expression patterns in malignant tissues and their adjacent healthy tissues from Dukes C stage CRC patients. A total number of 34 differentially expressed proteins were detected and identified by LC-MS/MS and database searching, which are supposed to be relevant to progression of colorectal tumor. Among these proteins, nucleophosmin 1(NPM1) was found to be remarkably up-regulated in colorectal carcinoma tissues, as compared with that in their normal counterparts. The results presented here could provide clues to elucidate the pathological significance of NPM1 in regulation of carcinogenesis of Dukes C stage colorectal tumors.     

膀胱癌液体活检的研究进展

膀胱癌是一种高发病率和致死率的恶性肿瘤疾病,通常情况下在中后期才能被诊断出来,给患者带来了巨大的身心伤害。 膀胱镜检查是膀胱癌诊断的金标准,但这种方法具有一定的侵入性,并且在膀胱癌的早期诊断中,灵敏度和特异性较低,容易出现较高的假阳性率。 膀胱癌的发生会对血液和尿液的成分产生直接影响,因此非侵入性的液体活检将为膀胱癌的早期诊断带来新的检测方法。 本篇综述介绍了基于液体活检的膀胱癌诊断方法的发展进程。 首先,对膀胱癌的主要标志物进行了简单介绍。 其次,重点总结了以液体(如尿液和血液)为检测对象的膀胱癌诊断方法和诊断机制。 除此之外,我们对膀胱癌液体活检面临的机遇和挑战进行了阐述。 我们希望这篇综述将为膀胱癌的液体活检提供指导。     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of cicletanide, a new diuretic, in plasma, red blood cells, urine and saliva

A sensitive, selective and easy to use high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of cicletanide, a new diuretic, in plasma, red blood cells, urine and saliva is described. After extraction of cicletanide together with an internal standard with diethyl ether, or diethyl ether-n-hexane (20:80) for urine, the sample extracts are chromatographed with water-methanol-acetic acid (50:50:0.3) as eluent on to a Nucleosil C18 column. Both compounds are detected by their ultraviolet absorption at 280 nm. The calibration graph was linear between 0.2 and 20 micrograms/ml for plasma and between 0.2 and 5 micrograms/ml for the other biological fluids. The sensitivity limit was 20 ng/ml for plasma, red blood cells and saliva and 30 ng/ml for urine. The coefficients of variation of the between-day assays did not exceed 4.6% in plasma, 8.3% in red blood cells, 7.8% in urine and 4.2% in saliva for the lowest concentrations studied. The application of the method to a pharmacokinetic study of cicletanide after a single oral therapeutic dose in humans is reported.     

Liquid-phase microextraction of biomarkers: A review on current methods

The detection and quantification of biomarkers have gained more attention in the medical discipline to evaluating disease progression to manage medical treatment. Biomarkers range from gases to biological macromolecules. Because of the nanomolar range levels of typical biomarkers in plasma, blood, urine, exhalation samples, and other biological fluids as well as complex matrix of biological media, adequate sample preparation methods should be used for quantification of biomarkers. Biomarkers are discussed here generally classified mainly into two subgroups which arisen from disease or exposure compounds. The analytical method is critical for the validity/reliability of a biomarker. Accuracy, precision, reproducibility, recovery, sensitivity, and specificity all have high influence to the consistency with the limit and reference values concerned. In this paper, developments in well-established liquid-phase microextraction techniques for the clinical analysis of biological samples will be reviewed and discussed. This article presents an overview of microextraction methods for biological samples, focusing especially on biomarkers.     

Ovarian Cancer: Biomarker Proteomic Diagnosis in Progress

Ovarian cancer lacks clear syndromes at an early stage and could result in serious problem in woman's health status. The current diagnostic approach relies on physical examination, ultrasound examination, and blood test for CA125. These approaches could not diagnose early stage ovarian cancer with high sensitivity and specificity. The present paper reviewed the efforts in screening the proteomic biomarkers for ovarian cancer. The sources of biomarkers were discussed. Then, the current techniques in proteomics were introduced. Finally, the biomarkers for ovarian cancer were summarized.