Measurements of serum C-reactive protein levels in patients with gastric cancer and quantification using silicon nanowire arrays.

Unlabelled: We examined the levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, and carbohydrate antigen in 83 of 400 patients who had undergone surgery for gastric cancer and correlated these markers with stages of the disease. In addition, we measured C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in the sera of gastric cancer patients with silicon nanowire field-effect transistors (SiNW FETs) to determine whether SiNW FETs could be used to accurately sense CRP, a marker of inflammation and possible indicator of future progression of the cancer. We designed and fabricated SiNWs to be responsive to CRP.

Quantitative measurements of C-reactive protein using silicon nanowire arrays.

A silicon nanowire-based sensor for biological application showed highly desirable electrical responses to either pH changes or receptor-ligand interactions such as protein disease markers, viruses, and DNA hybridization. Furthermore, because the silicon nanowire can display results in real-time, it may possess superior characteristics for biosensing than those demonstrated in previously studied methods. However, despite its promising potential and advantages, certain process-related limitations of the device, due to its size and material characteristics, need to be addressed.