Handheld ISFET Lab-on-Chip Detection of TMPRSS2-ERG and AR mRNA for Prostate Cancer Prognostics

Ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs), in combination with unmodified complementary metal oxide semiconductors, present a point-of-care platform for clinical diagnostics and prognostics. This work illustrates the sensitive and specific detection of two circulating mRNA markers for prostate cancer: the androgen receptor and the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion using a target-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification method. TMPRSS2-ERG and androgen receptor RNA were detected down to 3 x10(1) and 5 x10(1) copies, respectively, in under 30 min. Administration of these assays onto the ISFET lab-on-chip device was successful and the specificity of each marker was corroborated with mRNA extracted from prostate cancer cell lines.