Polyethylenimine Modified Graphene-Oxide Electrochemical Immunosensor for the Detection of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein in Central Nervous System Injury

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is as an intermediate filament protein expressed by certain cells in the central nervous system (CNS). GFAP has been recognized as a reliable biomarker of CNS injury. However, due to the absence of rapid and easy-to-use assays for the detection of CNS injury biomarkers, measuring GFAP levels to identify CNS injury has not attained widespread clinical implementation. In the present work, we developed a polyethylenimine (PEI) coated graphene screen-printed electrode and used it for highly sensitive immunosensing of GFAP. Covalent binding of GFAP antibody to the PEI-modified electrode surface along with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used for detecting the change in the electrical conductivity of the electrodes. A highly linear response was recorded for various GFAP concentrations. Quantitative, selective, and label-free detection was achieved in the dynamic range of 1 pg mL to 100 ng mL for GFAP spiked in phosphate buffer saline, artificial cerebrospinal fluid, and human blood serum. The performance of the immunosensor was further validated and correlated by testing samples with the commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. This functionalized electrode could be used clinically for rapid detection and monitoring of CNS injury.