Applications of a Novel Nucleic Acid Detection Method in Breast Cancer: Analysis of Overexpression of HER-2/neu and FAK

摘要

The project 'Applications of a Novel Nucleic Acid Detection Method in Breast Cancer: Analysis of Overexpression of Her-2/neu and FAK' is aimed at utilizing new biosensors based on guanine electron transfer to quantitate messenger RNA for breast cancer genes. In the first two years of the project, methods were developed for attaching nucleic acids to indium tin oxide electrodes and detecting these molecules electrochemically through the catalytic reaction. These methods allow for detection of 0.5 fmol per 0.1 Cm2 of electrode area. This method was applied detection of mRNA amplified by RT-PCR and to determination of repeat lengths. In the second two years, molten salts of DNA were developed that allowed for dramatically reducing the electrode size used to do the detection. These materials allowed for DNA detection on electrodes as small as 5 microns; present DNA chips are generally limited to microlocations in the 100 micron range. In the final studies, photoinduced electron transfer was used to probe these novel materials in more detail.