Label-free IDE-based impedance spectroscopy for the investigation of receptor-protein affinity

In this work, a novel method for label-free impedimetric evaluation of receptor-protein interaction is proposed. By using a microdevice based on interdigitated microelectrode, we monitor interactions and affinity of the anthrax toxin receptor expressed on the membrane of vascular cells with protein of the extracellular matrix to clarify its physiological role and its influence on adhesion. The approach presented here overcomes the limitation of the standard assays, consisting of end-point analysis performed on specific receptor domains, extracted by complex biochemical procedures. This method provides a biological relevant environment, in which the receptors functionality is studied directly on living cells in a real-time continuous manner.