Development of a high-performance label-free electrochemical immunosensor for early cancer diagnosis using anti-CEA/Ag-MOF/GO/GCE nanocomposite

In order to detect carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a tumor marker in lung cancer for early cancer diagnosis, this study aimed to develop a label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on the immobilization of an Anti-CEA antibody on a metal-organic framework (MOF)-graphene oxide nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode (Anti-CEA/Ag-MOF/GO/GCE). Ag-MOF/GO nanocomposite was prepared on the GCE surface using the ultrasonic irradiation method, and Anti-CEA antibody was subsequently immobilized on the surface. Analysis of the crystal structure and morphology of the modified electrode using FE-SEM and XRD revealed that the correct combination of GO nanosheets and Ag-MOF nanoparticles produced a high surface area to trap the antibodies. Electrochemical tests utilizing the CV and DPV methods revealed that the immunosensor's sensitivity, stability, and selectivity were improved by Anti-CEA/Ag-MOF/GO/GCE. Results showed that, with a detection limit of 0.005 ng/mL, the change in the reduction peak current was inversely correlated with the logarithm concentration of CEA in the range of 10-3 to 5000 ng/mL. The suggested CEA immunosensor's applicability in a human serum sample was investigated, and findings of analytical studies via standard addition technique for both ELISA and DPV assays revealed that significant agreement existed between the outcomes of the two assays. Additionally, the recoveries ranged from 99.00% to 99.25%, and all relative standard deviations (RSDs) for the sample detections were below 5.01%, indicating satisfactory accuracy in results measured with the proposed CEA immunosensor, indicating that the prepared CEA immunosensor in this study can be used in clinical applications and human fluids.