Dual Ionophore Ion Selective Electrode for Detecting Non-Ionic Molecules, Macromolecules and Cells

Abstract

The ability to screen for cancer cells quickly and accurately is desirable in diagnostic medicine. Researchers at WSU have developed a biomolecule detection system able of detecting in near real-time (within seconds) the presence of prostate cancer cells in a biological sample of interest.

This technology is able to detect binding between prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expressing cells and a ligand developed to bind the PSMA receptor. The detection of the binding event happens in near real-time when a biological sample is added that contains prostate cancer cells. The novelty of this system is that it can be adapted to detect any marker of interest simply by changing the ligand present in the detection system. This technology could be commercialized in a micro-size form with applications of detection only being limited to the availability of a complementary ligand to the biomolecule of interest. The applications of this technology could result in a new line of micro-sized near real-time detection tools adapted for a variety of purposes.

Applications and Advantages