Matrix
metalloproteinase (MMP) is closely correlated with tumorigenesis
and progression. Establishing a low-cost, simple, rapid, and sensitive
method for its detection is highly desired for the broad-spectrum
screening of oral cancer. Herein, we combine the MMP-specific cleavage
ability with magnetic separation technology and a commercial test
strip to construct a sensitive biosensor to detect MMP-1 conveniently
for the first time. The method involves two DNA probes, peptide–DNA1
and hCG–DNA2, where DNA1 and DNA2 are complementary sequences,
and the peptide labeled with biotin can bind streptavidin-modified
magnetic nanoparticles stably. The human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
is the target of the pregnancy test strip. The cleavage reaction mediated
by MMP-1 releases peptide–DNA1 and the hybridized hCG–DNA2
into the solution, and the hCG probe in the solution can develop color
on the test strip for the determination of MMP-1 after magnetic separation.
This method utilizes the high specificity of MMP-1’s proteolytic
cleavage and the high sensitivity of the test strip to the target
probe, achieving a sensitive detection of MMP-1 with a visual detection
limit of 65.5 pg/mL. The method shows better anti-interference and
sensitivity than the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the application
of a biological sample matrix, suggesting its great potential for
clinical diagnosis, especially for broad-spectrum oral cancer screening.