BeyondHeadlines News Desk
New Delhi: A team of researchers at the Centre for Nanosciences and Nanotechnology of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has developed an extremely sensitive biosensor for multi-drug resistant (MDR) leukaemia cells detection using vertically aligned multi-wall carbon nanotubes.
The Sensor developed by the team led by Prof. S.S. Islam, Director of the Centre can detect multidrug-resistant myeloid leukaemia cells even when present at very low concentration of 10 cells per ml.
Notable advantages of the flexible sensor are its durability, chemical and moisture resistance. In addition, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a flexible substrate, is stable up to 180° C and is used for the present developed sensor making it a potentially competitive device for point-of-care diagnostics.
The response of the sensor remained unchanged even after 3 weeks after repeated cycling test.
The sensitivity of the sensor is of superior quality and is able to detect multidrug-resistant leukaemia cells even when just 10 cells per ml were present, said Prof. Islam.
The immunosensor is fabricated by transferring VA-MWNTs on a polyethylene terephthalate substrate by hot press technique without losing CNTs’ pristine character. Sensing is performed using doxorubicin treated leukaemia K562 cells in varying concentrations from 1.5×10 2 cells mL –1 to 1.5×10 7 cells mL –1 and sensor showed detection limit of 10 cells mL –1 . Additionally, the developed immunosensor shows good stability, reproducibility and fast detection vis-à-vis the devices reported so far.
Payal Gulati, first author of the paper published in the journal said the researchers used vertically aligned carbon nanotubes to increase the surface area available for the antibodies to bind to them.
This work has been published in a reputed journal ‘Sensors & Actuators B: Chemical, Elsevier Publishing House.
