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Hydrogen peroxide-producing bioelectronic device for killing cancer cells in vitro

Doctoral student:
Gema del Rocío López Buenafé (Sobresaliente)
Year:
2022
University:
University of the Basque Country
Director(s):
Janire Saez
Description:

Cancer is currently the leading cause of death worldwide, with over 19 million new cases diagnosed by the year 2020. The necessity of finding new alternatives for the creation of novel therapies has prompted the development of research areas such as bioelectronics. In this field, research points to organic electronic materials such as poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate)PEDOT:PSS, as a promising interface to biological systems. This study focuses on the creation of a polymer (PEDOT:PSS/GOPS/Ethylene glycol) with electrochemical characteristics capable of being combined with gold electrodes. The application of a chronoamperometric pulse on the developed polymer has proven to be able to promote the generation of hydrogen peroxide, which penetrates into the cells seeded on the device, triggering cell death. Additionally, the polymer coated electrodes constitute a sensor that enables the monitoring of cell proliferation and death by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. The introduction of this functional microsystem capable of killing cells and monitoring them at the same time in an implantable device could be a promising area of research for the creation of a more targeted therapy than those currently administered.