Cell-based multisensor array for detecting cancer biomarkers in human urine

Abstract

Detecting volatile urinary biomarkers offers a compelling strategy for noninvasive diagnosis of diseases such as cancer. Biohybrid sensors employing sensor cells that express olfactory receptors--with finely tuned molecular recognition capabilities--are garnering increasing attention. However, their application to physiological samples remains challenging due to variability in sensor cell responsiveness and limited signal intensity. Here, we report a volatile biomarker detection platform based on a multisensor array in which insect olfactory receptor- expressing cells are encapsulated in hydrogel and housed within microwells featuring vertical slits. This structural design enables dense three-dimensional cell immobilization and rapid, uniform exposure to target molecules, enhancing the sensitivity of fluorescence responses and minimizing signal variability. Multiple types of sensor cells on a single array enabled the selective and simultaneous detection of potential cancer-related target molecules--acetophenone, phenol, and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one. Furthermore, through hexane extraction combined with gas-phase delivery, we reliably detected acetophenone introduced into human urine at micromolar concentrations. This platform offers a compact, reproducible, and scalable solution for volatile biomarker detection using cell-based sensors.