Vandenryt Thijs, van Grinsven Bart, Eersels Kasper, Cornelis Peter, Kholwadia Safira, Cleij Thomas J, Thoelen Ronald, De Ceuninck Ward, Peeters Marloes, Wagner Patrick
Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Wetenschapspark 1, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
Maastricht Science Programme, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Sensors (Basel). 2017 Nov 23;17(12):2701. doi: 10.3390/s17122701.
Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that plays a major role in the pathogenesis of a variety of conditions, including psychiatric disorders. The detection of serotonin typically relies on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), an expensive technique that requires sophisticated equipment and trained personnel, and is not suitable for point-of-care applications. In this contribution, we introduce a novel sensor platform that can measure spiked neurotransmitter concentrations in whole blood samples in a fast and low-cost manner by combining synthetic receptors with a thermal readout technique-the heat-transfer method. In addition, the design of a miniaturized version of the sensing platform is presented that aims to bridge the gap between measurements in a laboratory setting and point-of-care measurements. This fully automated and integrated, user-friendly design features a capillary pumping unit that is compatible with point-of-care sampling techniques such as a blood lancet device (sample volume-between 50 µL and 300 µL). Sample pre-treatment is limited to the addition of an anti-coagulant. With this fully integrated setup, it is possible to successfully discriminate serotonin from a competitor neurotransmitter (histamine) in whole blood samples. This is the first demonstration of a point-of-care ready device based on synthetic receptors for the screening of neurotransmitters in complex matrices, illustrating the sensor's potential application in clinical research and diagnosis of e.g., early stage depression.
血清素是一种重要的神经递质，在包括精神疾病在内的多种病症的发病机制中起主要作用。血清素的检测通常依赖于高效液相色谱法（HPLC），这是一种昂贵的技术，需要精密的设备和经过培训的人员，且不适用于即时检测应用。在本论文中，我们介绍了一种新型传感器平台，该平台通过将合成受体与热读出技术——热传递方法相结合，能够以快速且低成本的方式测量全血样本中添加的神经递质浓度。此外，还展示了传感平台的小型化版本的设计，旨在弥合实验室环境测量与即时检测测量之间的差距。这种完全自动化、集成且用户友好的设计具有一个毛细管泵送单元，该单元与诸如采血针装置（样本体积在50微升至300微升之间）之类的即时检测采样技术兼容。样本预处理仅限于添加抗凝剂。通过这种完全集成的设置，能够成功地在全血样本中区分血清素与竞争神经递质（组胺）。这是基于合成受体的用于在复杂基质中筛选神经递质的即时检测就绪设备的首次展示，说明了该传感器在临床研究和例如早期抑郁症诊断中的潜在应用。
