Gelatin–PVA Hydrogel Composite-Based Immunosensing Interface for Early Detection of HPV16-Driven Cervical Cancer

Vollständiger Abstract

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Abstract Viral oncoprotein HPV16 E6 is a critical mediator of cervical malignancy and a promising biomarker for early-stage detection of cervical cancer. Current diagnostic approaches centered around morphology-based screening and DNA-based assays emphasize the need for noninvasive, affordable, and highly sensitive urine-based detection methods targeting HPV16 E6 oncoprotein for early diagnosis. This study introduces a noninvasive diagnostic strategy using a gelatin–PVA (G-PVA) hydrogel composite-based electrochemical biosensor for HPV16 E6 oncoprotein detection in spiked urine samples. The proposed platform integrates chemically crosslinked G-PVA hydrogel as a transducing matrix for biosensing offering superior biocompatibility, electrochemical stability, and enhanced surface area for antibody immobilization. The biosensor platform demonstrates robust electrochemical performance with a broad dynamic range (1 pg mL–1 to 1 μg mL–1), ultra-low detection limit (0.56 pg mL–1), and quantification limit (1.88 pg mL–1). Furthermore, it exhibits a sensitivity of 37 μA cm–2 log–1 (pg mL–1) along with good reproducibility and specificity toward E6 oncoprotein even in complex media such as artificial urine. Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of the G-PVA hydrogel composite-based biosensor as an affordable, noninvasive, point-of-care (POC) detection platform representing significant advancement toward early detection of HPV16-associated cervical cancer.