D-(+)-galactose-conjugated single-walled carbon nanotubes as new chemical probes for electrochemical biosensors for the cancer marker galectin-3

Int J Mol Sci. 2011;12(5):2946-57. doi: 10.3390/ijms12052946. Epub 2011 May 5.

Abstract

D-(+)-Galactose-conjugated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were synthesized for use as biosensors to detect the cancer marker galectin-3. To investigate the binding of galectin-3 to the d-(+)-galactose-conjugated SWCNTs, an electrochemical biosensor was fabricated by using molybdenum electrodes. The binding affinities of the conjugated SWCNTs to galectin-3 were quantified using electrochemical sensitivity measurements based on the differences in resistance together with typical I-V characterization. The electrochemical sensitivity measurements of the d-(+)-galactose-conjugated SWCNTs differed significantly between the samples with and without galectin-3. This indicates that d-(+)-galactose-conjugated SWCNTs are potentially useful electrochemical biosensors for the detection of cancer marker galectin-3.

Keywords: biosensor; cancer marker; galactose; galectin-3; single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis*
  • Biosensing Techniques*
  • Electrochemical Techniques
  • Galactose / chemistry*
  • Galectin 3 / analysis*
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Galectin 3
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Galactose