A research team led by Professor Jinsung Park of the Department of Biomechatronic Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University(SKKU), working jointly with Professor Pil-Soo Sung of the College of Medicine at the Catholic University of Korea and Professor Si-Hyun Bae, President of Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, has developed an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor capable of accurately detecting "early-stage liver fibrosis"—a condition in which the liver progressively hardens—using only a small amount of blood. The research represents a notable achievement in the convergence of engineering and medicine, opening a path to identifying liver abnormalities through blood analysis alone, without the pain of a tissue biopsy. The findings were published online on July 6 in the internationally renowned journal Chemical Engineering Journal.

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver condition in which liver tissue gradually hardens, much like a callus. If detected early, the condition can often be reversed through lifestyle changes or medication. However, because it produces no outward symptoms, early detection has been extremely difficult. Until now, diagnosis has relied mainly on liver biopsy—in which a needle is inserted directly into the liver to extract tissue—or costly imaging tests, both of which cause patient discomfort and are difficult to perform frequently.

The research team focused on a protein called PICP, which is released into the bloodstream as the liver hardens. Because this protein is produced alongside the buildup of collagen ("scar tissue") in liver tissue, it serves as an important biomarker indicating how actively liver fibrosis is progressing.


The diagnostic platform developed by the team, called FIB-EIS, consists of a carbon electrode coated with gold nanoparticles, onto which antibodies that bind to the PICP protein are attached. When PICP in the blood binds to these antibodies, it changes the electrical properties (impedance) of the sensor surface—a change that can be precisely measured. Because the method reads the target substance directly through electrical signals, without special staining or complex processing, the analysis is simple and could eventually be adapted into a portable, smartphone-like diagnostic device.

Blood contains numerous other proteins that can interfere with diagnosis. To address this, the team applied a technique to block such interfering substances from adhering to the sensor. As a result, the biosensor achieved high sensitivity, accurately detecting biomarker concentrations as low as 0.81 pg/mL. In tests using blood samples from actual patients, the platform distinguished between healthy individuals and liver fibrosis patients with 95.24% sensitivity and 100% specificity (the probability of correctly identifying healthy individuals as healthy), demonstrating exceptionally strong diagnostic performance.

"This research is significant in demonstrating that liver disease can be detected early through a simple blood test, without subjecting patients to the pain of a tissue biopsy," said Professor Jinsung Park of Sungkyunkwan University. "If this technology can be further developed into a compact diagnostic device usable even at local clinics, we hope it will help many people detect and manage liver disease before it progresses."

This research was supported by various funding programs from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, including the Bio & Medical Technology Development Program, the Mid-Career Researcher Program, the Post-Doc Growth Program, the Sejong Science Fellowship, and the Physician-Scientist Training Program.