Oncological diseases represent a significant global health challenge, with high mortality rates. Early detection is crucial for effective treatment, and aptamers, which demonstrate superior specificity and stability compared to antibodies, offer a promising avenue for diagnostic advancement. This study presents the design, development and evaluation of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor functionalized with the T2-KK1B10 aptamer for the sensitive and specific detection of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) K562 cells. The research focuses on optimizing the biorecognition layer by adjusting the aptamer conditions, demonstrating the sensor's ability to detect these CML cells with high specificity and sensitivity. The aptamer-modified QCM sensor operates on the principle of mass change detection upon binding of target cells. By employing the Langmuir isotherm model, the performance of the sensor was optimized for the capture of CML cells from biological samples with LOD of 263 K562 cells. The sensor was also successfully regenerated multiple times without sensitivity loss. Validation of the sensor's performance was conducted under controlled laboratory settings, followed by extensive testing utilizing human lyophilized plasma and clinical samples from patients. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of CML cells within clinical specimens, thereby illustrating its potential for practical clinical deployment. This research presents a novel approach to the early diagnosis of CML, facilitating timely intervention and enhanced patient outcomes. The developed aptasensor demonstrates potential for broader application in cancer diagnostics and personalized medicine.

Biomedical Research Center Department of Nanobiology Cancer Research Institute Slovak Academy of Sciences Dúbravská cesta 9 845 05 Bratislava Slovakia

Centre of Biosciences Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics Slovak Academy of Sciences Dúbravská cesta 9 840 05 Bratislava Slovakia

Department of Biology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Palacky University Hněvotínska 3 775 15 Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Inorganic Chemistry Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava Radlinského 9 81237 Bratislava Slovakia

Faculty of Medicine Comenius University in Bratislava Špitálska 24 813 72 Bratislava Slovakia

Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava Radlinského 9 81237 Bratislava Slovakia

National Cancer Institute Department of Oncohematology Klenová 1 833 10 Bratislava Slovakia

Selecta Biotech SE Istrijská 6094 20 841 07 Bratislava Slovakia

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