Dual-potential electrochemiluminescence cytosensor based on a metal-organic framework and ABEI-PEI-Au@AgNPs for the simultaneous determination of phosphatidylserine and epidermal growth factor receptors on an apoptotic cell surface

Abstract A new electrochemiluminescence (ECL) cytosensor is proposed for the simultaneous determination of phosphatidylserine (PS) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) based on the ECL signals of metal-organic framework-5 (MOF-5) loaded CdS quantum dots and N-(aminobutyl)-N-(ethylisoluminol)-polyethylenimine capped Au and Ag nanoparticles. Apoptosis promotes the exposure of PS and reduces the expression of EGFR in cell membranes. Two spatially resolved areas on dual-disk glassy carbon electrodes were designed to eliminate the interference from different ECL probes. Using HepG2 cells treated with resveratrol to induce apoptosis, the cytosensor exhibited high sensitivity, simplicity, and high reproducibility, demonstrating its potential in drug screening and rapid apoptotic cell detection. The strategy reported provides a promising platform for the highly sensitive cytosensing and convenient screening of clinically relevant anticancer drugs. Graphical Abstract