Sensing of C-Reactive Protein Using an Extended-Gate Field-Effect Transistor with a Tungsten Disulfide-Doped Peptide-Imprinted Conductive Polymer Coating

• Published in: Biosensors (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 31
• Main Authors: Liu, Kai-Hsi, Lin, Hung-Yin, Thomas, James L, Chen, Chen-Yuan, Chen, Yen-Ting, Chen, Chuen-Yau, Yang, Chien-Hsin, Lee, Mei-Hwa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 07.01.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Antibodies; Biomarkers; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Calibration; Cardiovascular diseases; Coated electrodes; Communication; Conducting polymers; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; electrochemical sensing; Electrochemical Techniques; Electrochemistry; Electrodes; epitope imprinting; Field effect transistors; human serum; Humans; Imprinted polymers; Inflammation; Microfluidics; Molecularly Imprinted Polymers; Peptides; Polymer coatings; Polymerization; Polymers; Proteins; Semiconductor devices; Sensors; Sepsis; Sulfides; Transistors; Tungsten; Tungsten Compounds; Tungsten disulfide; Viral diseases; electrochemical sensing; tungsten disulfide; C-reactive protein; epitope imprinting; human serum
• ISSN: 2079-6374; 2079-6374
• DOI: 10.3390/bios12010031

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a non-specific biomarker of inflammation and may be associated with cardiovascular disease. In recent studies, systemic inflammatory responses have also been observed in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have been developed to replace natural antibodies with polymeric materials that have low cost and high stability and could thus be suitable for use in a home-care system. In this work, a MIP-based electrochemical sensing system for measuring CRP was developed. Such a system can be integrated with microfluidics and electronics for lab-on-a-chip technology. MIP composition was optimized using various imprinting template (CRP peptide) concentrations. Tungsten disulfide (WS ) was doped into the MIPs. Doping not only enhances the electrochemical response accompanying the recognition of the template molecules but also raises the top of the sensing range from 1.0 pg/mL to 1.0 ng/mL of the imprinted peptide. The calibration curve of the WS -doped peptide-imprinted polymer-coated electrodes in the extended-gate field-effect transistor platform was obtained and used for the measurement of CRP concentration in real human serum.