Ultrasensitive Quantification of MUC16 Antigen/Amine-terminated Aptamer Interaction by Surface Plasmon Resonance: Kinetic and Thermodynamic Studies

Abstract

MUC16 is a commonly employed biomarker in the identification and prognosis of ovarian cancer (OC). Precise measurement of MUC16 levels is essential for the accurate diagnosis, prediction, and management of OC. This research seeks to introduce a new surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor design that utilizes aptamer-based technology to enable the sensitive and real-time detection of MUC16. In this study, the sensor chip was immobilized with an anti-MUC16 aptamer (Ap) by utilizing 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) as a linker to attach the amine-terminated Ap to the chip using EDC/NHS chemistry. The results indicated that the newly created aptasensor had a detection limit of 0.03 U mL-1 for MUC16 concentration, with a linear range of 0.09 to 0.027 U mL-1. The findings demonstrate good precision and accuracy (<15%) for each MUC16 concentration, with recoveries ranging from 93% to 96%. Additionally, the aptasensor exhibited high selectivity, good repeatability, stability, and applicability in real human serum samples, indicating its potential as a valuable tool for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Keywords: Aptasensor, MUC16, Ovarian cancer, Real-time, Surface plasmon resonance