Novel electrochemical biosensor for breast cancer detection, based on a nanocomposite of carbon nanofiber, metal–organic framework, and magnetic graphene oxide

In this study, we present the newly developed a novel microRNA biosensor based on magnetic rod carbon paste electrodes for breast cancer detection by using a relatively new MOF structure as a substrate. The major goal of manufacturing biosensors, suitable for clinical diagnostics, is to measure very low amount of microRNA 155 in complex environments. Therefore, we used a combination of different materials, including carbon nanofibers, CuBTC-AIA (CuMOF), and Fe@rGO, to improve the electrode surface-to-volume ratio and facilitate the electron transfer process. In this method, 1-pyrenebutyric acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester was used to bind the microRNAs to the electrode surface. The hybridization process on the modified electrode surface was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and differential pulse voltammetry across the potential range, in which the accumulated hematoxylin was electroactive. Under optimal conditions, a very low detection limit of 0.08 fM and an adequate dynamic range of 0.2 fM–500 pM were achieved. The fabricated sensor was reported to be reproducible and selective when tested using different types of mismatched target sequences. And finally, the real human serum samples were used to confirm the capability of the nanobiosensor to detect microRNA 155 without any significant interference from other molecules and components.