Sensor Arrays Based on Supramolecular Compound Calixarene: Innovative Breakthroughs in the Detection of Tumor-Associated Carbohydrate Antigens

Abnormal glycosylation is widespread in cancer, and the overexpression of glycoantigens is a manifestation of glycosylation abnormalities. Tn antigen, sTn antigen, and T antigen are known as tumor-associated glycoantigens, and their expression varies in different tumors or subtypes of the same tumor. Therefore, simultaneous detection of these three glycoantigens is of great significance for the diagnosis of tumors. In this study, a sensor array (3 × 2) based on the supramolecular compound calixarene was constructed to detect three glycoantigens (Tn, T, and sTn) simultaneously. The array forms host-guest complexes through various calixarene derivatives and the fluorescent indicator 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin (XDS). By utilization of the competitive effect of glycoantigens and XDS on the binding sites of calixarene compounds, fluorescence changes are generated, thus achieving detection. Experimental results show that the sensor array exhibits a high sensitivity and selectivity for glycoantigens, effectively distinguishing different glycoantigens and cancer cell types in complex biological samples. This method provides a simple, rapid, and high-throughput detection approach for cancer diagnosis, demonstrating significant potential for clinical applications.