One step electrochemical detection for matrix metalloproteinase 2 based on anodic stripping of silver nanoparticles mediated by host-guest interactions

Abstract MMP-2 plays a critical role in the occurrence, metastasis and prognosis of cancer. Herein, a simple and sensitive electrochemical method for the detection of MMP-2 based on the host-guest interactions mediated by cucurbit[8]uril has been established. A peptide 1 having a preferred MMP-2 restriction site was firstly anchored on the electrode surface, which can recruit peptide-templated silver nanoparticles through the CB[8] recognition, thereby producing significant electrochemical signals. But in the presence of MMP-2, peptide 1 is explicitly cleaved at the site between G and V, and the subsequent separation of peptide-templated silver nanoparticles from the electrode surface can produce significantly reduced current signals, which enables the sensitive electrochemical detection for MMP-2 activity. Electrochemical signal amplification in our proposed method occurs via the anodic stripping of AgNPs on the electrode surface, resulting in a significantly enhanced electrochemical signal for MMP-2 detection in the range of 0.5 pg⋅ mL−1–50 ng⋅ mL−1 with a detection limit of 0.12 pg⋅ mL−1. Moreover, our method showed convincing results with real samples. The prominent advantage of the technique over the traditional methods is its simple design and high sensitivity. Therefore, we believe that it has great potential applicability in MMP-2 related clinical practices and biochemical researches.