title: Real-Time Detection of Telomerase Activity in Cancer Cells using a Label-Free Electrochemical Impedimetric Biosensing Microchip.
abstract: The enzyme telomerase is present in about 85% of human cancers which makes it not only a good target for cancer treatment but also an excellent marker for cancer detection. Using a single stranded DNA probe specific for telomerase binding and reverse transcription tethered to an interdigital gold electrode array surface, the chromosome protection provided by the telomerase was replicated and followed by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy as an unlabeled biosensor. Using this system designed in-house, easy and affordable, impedance measurements were taken while incubating at 37 °C and promoting the probe elongation. This resulted in up to 14-fold increase in the charge transfer resistance when testing a telomerase-positive nuclear extract from Jurkat cells compared to the heat-inactivated telomerase-negative nuclear extract. The electron transfer process at the Au electrodes was studied before the elongation, at different times after the elongation, and after desorption of non-specific binding.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Sciences Research Building, University of Puerto Rico, 1390 Ponce de Leon Ave., STE. 2, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926-2614, United States ; Department of Chemistry and Center for Advanced Nanoscale Materials, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, P.O Box 23346, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3346, United States.
authors.forename: Lisandro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cunci
authors.affiliation: Molecular Sciences Research Building, University of Puerto Rico, 1390 Ponce de Leon Ave., STE. 2, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926-2614, United States ; Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, P.O. Box 365067, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00936-5067, United States.
authors.forename: Marina Martinez
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Engineering, Buenos Aires Institute of Technology, Av. Eduardo Madero 399, C1106ACD, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cunci
authors.affiliation: Molecular Sciences Research Building, University of Puerto Rico, 1390 Ponce de Leon Ave., STE. 2, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926-2614, United States ; Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, P.O. Box 365067, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00936-5067, United States.
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gomez-Moreno
authors.affiliation: Molecular Sciences Research Building, University of Puerto Rico, 1390 Ponce de Leon Ave., STE. 2, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926-2614, United States ; Department of Chemistry and Center for Advanced Nanoscale Materials, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, P.O Box 23346, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3346, United States.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.affiliation: Molecular Sciences Research Building, University of Puerto Rico, 1390 Ponce de Leon Ave., STE. 2, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926-2614, United States ; Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, P.O. Box 365067, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00936-5067, United States.
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baerga-Ortiz
authors.affiliation: Molecular Sciences Research Building, University of Puerto Rico, 1390 Ponce de Leon Ave., STE. 2, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926-2614, United States ; Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, P.O. Box 365067, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00936-5067, United States ; Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, P.O. Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00931-3360, United States.
authors.forename: Carlos I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Molecular Sciences Research Building, University of Puerto Rico, 1390 Ponce de Leon Ave., STE. 2, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926-2614, United States ; Department of Chemistry and Center for Advanced Nanoscale Materials, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, P.O Box 23346, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3346, United States.
authors.forename: Carlos R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Cabrera
keywords: Biosensor; EIS; Interdigital electrode; Microchip; Telomerase