Fiber-Optic Biosensor with PDMS-Au Interface for Targeted Detection of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Targeted and sensitive detection of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a major challenge due to the lack of specific biomarkers and limitations of conventional diagnostic methods. In this work, a semi-distributed interferometric (SDI) fiber-optic biosensor functionalized with a hybrid PDMS-Au nanostructure is proposed for label-free and selective detection of TNBC cells. The sensor integrates a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microstructure to increase the effective sensing area and a gold nanolayer to enhance optical reflectivity and biomolecular immobilization. Anti-CD44 antibodies are used for selective targeting of TNBC cells. Experimental validation was performed using HCC1806 cells (target) and HEK293 cells (control) across concentrations ranging from 1 to $10^{6}$ cells/mL. The proposed sensor demonstrated high sensitivity (0.5277 $\mathrm{dB} / \log \mathrm{C})$, high linearity $\left(\mathrm{R}^{2}=0.9316\right)$, and a low limit of detection (1.3158 cells/mL). The platform also showed reliable performance in diluted human serum. These results highlight the potential of PDMS-Au functionalized SDI sensors for real-time, minimally invasive cancer diagnostics.
Institutions: Nazarbayev University, Université Côte d'Azur
Language: English
Topic: Advanced Fiber Optic Sensors
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7215118478