Effective voltammetric tool for simultaneous detection of MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9; important non-small cell lung cancer biomarkers

Simultaneous detection of multiple biomarkers can allow to reduce the costs of medical diagnostics, and thus improve the accuracy and effectiveness of disease diagnosis and prognosis. Here, for the first time, we present a low-cost, simple, and rapid method for simultaneous detection of three matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9) that play important roles in the progression of lung cancer. The sensor matrix was constructed using a G2 polyamidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM) containing amino, carboxyl, and sulfhydryl groups. The recognition process was based on specific enzymatic cleavage of the Gly-Ile peptide bond by MMP-1, Gly-Leu bond by MMP-2, and Gly-Met bond by MMP-9, and monitoring was done by square wave voltammetry. The activity of metalloproteinases was detected based on the change of current signals of redox receptors (dipeptides labeled with electroactive compounds) covalently anchored onto the electrode surface. The conditions of the biosensor construction, including the concentration of receptors on the sensor surface and the time of interaction of the receptor with the analyte, were carefully optimized. Under optimal conditions, the linear response of the developed method ranged from 1.0⋅10−8 to 1.0 mg⋅L−1, and the limit of detection for MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9 was 0.35, 0.62, and 1.10 fg⋅mL−1, respectively. The constructed biosensor enabled us to efficiently profile the levels of active forms of MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in tissue samples (plasma and lung and tumor extracts). Thus, the developed biosensor can aid in the early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer.