Detection of pancreatic cancer cells (SUIT-2) using an FET-based biosensor with an extended au gate

In this paper, we assess the feasibility of detecting human pancreatic cancer cells using a field effect transistor (FET)-based biosensor with an extended Au gate for medical application. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal cancers, and is very difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Gemcitabine is an anticancer drug, and when used in chemotherapy it induces cell death. During apoptosis, the surface potential of the pancreatic cancer cells is changed by gemcitabine. In the present study, this change was detected using an FET-based biosensor. This biosensor was fabricated with an extended Au gate, whose surface is a sensing area for cancer cells. A null-balancing circuit was used in the measurement system, and the LabVIEW software platform allowed the immune-reaction at the Au gate to be detected as an output voltage. The cancer cells were incubated for one day; during this time, the cancer cells adhered to the Au extended gate surface. As gemcitabine was introduced to the cancer cells in vitro, changes in the output of the biosensor were monitored. Pancreatic cancer cells with a resistance to gemcitabine were used to verify that the change in the output of the biosensor was due only to the interaction between the cancer cells and the gemcitabine. We also investigated the relationship between the starting time of the reaction and the concentration of the anticancer drug.