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Here, a multidimensional sensor array capable of analyzing various proteins and discriminating between serums from different stages of breast cancer patients were developed based on six kinds of near infrared fluorescent dual ligand functionalized Au NCs (functionalized with different amino acids) as sensing receptors. These six kinds of different amino acids functionalized Au NCs were synthesized for the first time within 2h due to the direct donation of delocalized electrons of electron-rich atoms or groups of the ligands to the Au core. Based on this, ten proteins could be simultaneously and effectively discriminated by this "chemical nose/tongue" sensor array. Linear discrimination analysis (LDA) of the response patterns showed successful differentiation of the analytes at concentrations as low as 10nM with high identification accuracy. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiment illustrates that Au NCs interacted with proteins mainly by hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. Furthermore, the greatest highlight of this sensor array is demonstrated by successfully discriminating between serums from different stages of breast cancer patients (early, middle and late) and healthy people, suggesting great potential for auxiliary diagnosis., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) are often found on the surface of cancer cells. The determination of the carbohydrate components of glycoconjugates is challenging because of the chemical complexity of glycan chains. Through monitoring corresponding antibody, we can get a good solution for clinical diagnosis. Here breast tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens Tn were used as a model and a new photoelectrochemical biosensor for ultrasensitive detection of antibody against Tn was developed. To enhance the sensitivity, both graphene oxide and graphene were used during the construction of biosensor. Through the formation of immunocomplex and the insoluble biocatalytic precipitation (BCP) product, photocurrent intensity was decreased greatly and the antibody could be detected from 0.5 to 500 pg/mL with a detection limit of 1.0×10(-13) g/mL. At the same time, the developed biosensor showed acceptable selectivity and could be used in the complex matrix. Compared with the traditional glycoarray method, this PEC method is more sensitive (5 orders of magnitude), and thus provides another platform to monitor the immune response to carbohydrate epitopes at different stages during differentiation, metastasis, or treatment., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this work, a simple and novel quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) assay is demonstrated to selectively and sensitively detect the adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The amplification process consists of circular nucleic acid strand-displacement polymerization, aptamer recognition strategy and nanoparticle signal amplification. With the involvement of an aptamer-based complex, two amplification reaction templates and AuNP-functionalized probes, the whole circle amplification process is triggered by the target recognition of ATP. As an efficient mass amplifier, AuNP-functionalized probes are introduced to enhance the QCM signals. As a result of DNA multiple amplification, a large number of AuNP-functionalized probes are released and hybridized with the capture probes on the gold electrode. Therefore the QCM signals are significantly enhanced, reaching a detection limit of ATP as low as 1.3 nM. This strategy can be conveniently used for any aptamer-target binding events with other biological detection such as protein and small molecules. Moreover, the practical determination of ATP in cancer cells demonstrates the feasibility of this QCM approach and potential application in clinical diagnostics., (© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel proximity-dependent isothermal cycle amplification (PDICA) strategy has been proposed and successfully used for the determination of cocaine coupled with surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). For enhancing the SERS signal, Raman dye molecules modified bio-barcode DNA and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are used to prepare the Raman probes. Magnetic beads (MBs) are used as the carrier of amplification template and signal output products for circumventing the problem of high background induced by excess bio-barcode DNA. In the presence of target molecules, two label-free proximity probes can hybridize with each other and subsequently opens the hairpin connector-probe to perform the PDICA reaction including the target recycling amplification and strand-displacement amplification. As a result, abundant AuNPs Raman probes can be anchored on the surface of MBs and a low detection limit of 0.1 nM for cocaine is obtained. This assay also exhibits an excellent selectivity and has been successfully performed in human serum, which confirms the reliability and practicality of this protocol., (© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)