Electrochemical Tracking of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor: A Leap Toward Precision Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health burden, mainly due to late diagnosis and chemotherapy resistance. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a proinflammatory cytokine associated with tumor progression, has emerged as a promising biomarker in CRC. However, its clinical utility is limited by the lack of rapid and accessible detection methods. In this study, we report an electrochemical immunotechnology for the sensitive and selective quantification of MIF protein in CRC tissue samples. By combining magnetic microparticles (MMPs), antibody-based recognition, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeling, and amperometric transduction at disposable screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs), the developed methodology displayed a linear dynamic range from 0.24 to 20 ng mL^-1, enabling quantification across clinically relevant MIF levels, and achieving a low limit of detection (0.07 ng mL^-1). In addition, the developed method is the only one reported for MIF assembled on MMPs and addresses its determination in a relevant oncological scenario (paired non-tumoral (NT) and tumoral (T) tissues from individuals diagnosed with CRC at different stages of the disease). The analysis, requiring only 100 ng of tissue extract, allowed efficient discrimination between NT and T paired tissues, and successfully differentiated between healthy, early (I-II) and advanced (III-IV) CRC stages, achieving these results in just 105 min.