Research Projects

Gastric cancer is a growing public health concern in India, with rising incidence rates, particularly in certain regions. Despite ongoing efforts by healthcare providers and researchers, early-stage detection remains limited, and a majority of cases are diagnosed at advanced stages, resulting in poor patient outcomes. Clinical manifestations such as unexplained weight loss, persistent abdominal pain, dysphagia, and gastrointestinal bleeding typically appear late in disease progression. Thus, the development of highly specific, sensitive, and real-time diagnostic methods is essential to improve prognosis and survival rates. This project proposes the development of a novel, portable, and cost-effective biosensing platform for the early and selective detection of gastric cancer biomarkers, specifically Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) from biofluids such as blood serum and urine. The central hypothesis is that a surface-functionalised Maxine-based nanocomposite electrode can selectively and sensitively detect gastric cancer biomarkers through electrochemical transduction, even at low concentrations in complex biological matrices. This hypothesis will be tested through a series of integrated experiments encompassing nanomaterial synthesis, biosensor fabrication, and clinical sample testing. The scientific process steps of this project are as follows: i.) Synthesise novel Maxine-based nanocomposites with optimal electrical conductivity and surface characteristics. ii.) Fabricate patterned electrodes using these nanocomposites via a lab-developed, low-cost printing technique. iii.) Modify the electrode surfaces with selective antibodies against PD-L1 and VEGF to enable specific biomolecular recognition. iv.) Develop and validate a portable electrochemical sensing kit capable of real-time detection from minimally invasive (serum) or non-invasive (urine) samples. v.) Evaluate the performance of the biosensor using spiked and clinical samples, with metrics including sensitivity, specificity, response time, stability, and reproducibility. If successful, this research will significantly advance the field of point-of-care diagnostics by enabling early detection of gastric cancer through a portable, user-friendly device. The outcome will have dual significance: (i) from a fundamental research standpoint, it will contribute to the understanding of nanocomposite–biomolecule interactions and electrochemical signal transduction in complex biological fluids; and (ii) from an application perspective, it will lead to the development of affordable diagnostic tools tailored for rural and resource-limited settings in India. Moreover, the fabrication methodology has broader potential for adaptation to detect biomarkers of other diseases, including different cancer types, thereby expanding the scope and impact of the proposed platform.