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Functionalized reduced graphene oxide with aptamer macroarray for cancer cell capture and fluorescence detection

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Abstract

An integrated aptamer macroarray functionalized with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to specifically capture and sensitively detect cancer cells is reported. The capture for cancer cells is based on effective recognition of the modified rGO surface through the aptamer against epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). The rough structure of rGO enhances morphologic interactions between rGO film interface and the cancer cells, while super-hydrophilicity of modified rGO hinders nonspecific cell capture. The synergistic interactions offer the aptamer macroarray high efficiency of cancer cell capture. By means of a turn-on fluorescence strategy based on the conformation change of the aptamer induced by the target recognition, the enriched cancer cells can be directly read out at excitation/emission wavelengths of 550/680 nm without washing, separation, and dying steps. The working range is 1 × 102 to 2 × 104 cells per mL with a detection limit of 22 cells per mL. The results indicate that the aptamer macroarray has a considerable foreground for early diagnosis, therapy, and monitoring of cancer.

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Funding

We thank the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Key Program: 81930117; General Program: 81573388, 81573910). This work was also supported by “Six talent peaks project of Jiangsu Province (YY-032).” This work was also supported by the Open Project Program of Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica (No. JKLPSE201805).

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Author notes

  1. Wenhui Qian and Zhaoyi Miao contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, People’s Republic of China

    Wenhui Qian, Zhaoyi Miao, Xiao-Jing Zhang, Xiao-Tong Yang, Ying-Ying Tang, Yu Ying Tang, Lin Yu Hu, Su Li & Dong Zhu

  2. Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing, China

    Dong Zhu

  3. Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, the First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Haibo Cheng

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  1. Wenhui Qian
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  2. Zhaoyi Miao
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  3. Xiao-Jing Zhang
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Correspondence to Dong Zhu or Haibo Cheng.

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Qian, W., Miao, Z., Zhang, XJ. et al. Functionalized reduced graphene oxide with aptamer macroarray for cancer cell capture and fluorescence detection. Microchim Acta 187, 407 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-020-04402-8

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