Point-of-Care Electrochemical Biosensor For the Detection of Oral Cancer

The process of oral cancer detection is inaccessible, inconvenient, and time consuming, highlighting the need for a rapid and accessible diagnostic method. This proposed point-of-care electrochemical biosensor addresses the accessibility gap in oral cancer screening. This study presents the first steps to developing an electrochemical biosensor for point-of-care detection using Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP-9), an enzyme known to be overexpressed in oral cancer, as a biomarker. The sensor utilizes electrostatically captured gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to generate an electrochemical signal, which is disrupted upon cleavage of a peptide by the biomarker. The electrochemical measurements, including cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry, were performed to confirm electrode cleanliness. The results confirmed the effectiveness of the electrochemical cleaning process, ensuring the electrode surface was properly prepared for biosensing applications. Furthermore, a baseline impedance measurement was done on the cleaned electrode. The next steps include constructing our biosensor and verifying whether MMP-9 can be detected.