Ultrasensitive detection of oral cancer biomarkers CD63 and CD44 in exosomes using janus particles: a rotational diffusometry-based assay.

Exosomes containing biomarkers offer potential for non-invasive diagnostics. For screening purposes and to improve patient treatment outcomes, early diagnosis of oral cancer is essential. This study's goal is to create a non-invasive assay using Janus particles (JPs) for detecting exosomes biomarkers CD63 and CD44 derived from the H357 oral cancer cell line. The JPs were functionalized with CD63 and CD44 antibodies to enable specific binding with target exosomes. The binding events were monitored through changes in rotational diffusivity, analyzed using cross-correlation techniques. The Stokes-Einstein-Debye model was used to correlate increasing exosome concentrations with slower particle rotation. The presence of the target biomarkers is confirmed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The JPs detected significant differences in rotational diffusivity between exosome binding antibodies with control group (PBS only) groups (p < 0.05). The ELISA confirmed the presence of CD63 and CD44 biomarkers. The JPs based assay provides a high-sensitivity method for detecting oral cancer surface markers on exosomes. This technology shows promising potential as an effective and non-invasive method for oral cancer early screening and diagnosis.