Wang Jianwei, Song Yeshuai, Dou Xinyu, Sun Jiapeng, Yang Xinghua, Zhang Yu, Liu Zhihai, Li Yanzeng, Li Hanyang
College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China.
Key Laboratory of In-Fiber Integrated Optics of Ministry of Education, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China.
Research (Wash D C). 2025 Aug 5;8:0824. doi: 10.34133/research.0824. eCollection 2025.
Real-time monitoring of liver injury is essential for preserving physiological health. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) detection is widely regarded as a fundamental approach for the early diagnosis of liver injury. However, existing detection methods often suffer from complex operation, high costs, and limited sensitivity. Here, we introduce a real-time biosensor based on functionalized liquid crystal microcavities with whispering gallery mode (WGM) laser for rapid and sensitive ALT detection. The microcavity functionalized with stearic acid exhibits distinct optical responses to ALT-catalyzed enzymatic reactions across varying concentrations. The high-quality factor of the microcavity obviously enhances its biosensing performance. Simulations reveal variations in the electric field behavior of WGM lasing as the liquid crystal microcavity transitions between radial and bipolar configurations. Further analysis was conducted using experimental WGM spectra and corresponding polarized optical microscopy images. Experimental results demonstrate a strong linear correlation between ALT concentration and reaction time within the range of 0 to 240 U/l. This biosensor exhibits a sensitivity of 0.67 s/(U/l), indicating its potential as a promising approach for early liver injury assays. In addition to in vitro verification, in vivo validation using mouse serum samples further confirms its practical applicability, yielding results consistent with those tested by using commercial assay kits. This method offers a simple, cost-effective, and efficient detection of ALT, underscoring the potential of liquid crystal microcavities for biosensing in liver injury monitoring.
实时监测肝损伤对于维持生理健康至关重要。丙氨酸转氨酶（ALT）检测被广泛认为是肝损伤早期诊断的基本方法。然而，现有的检测方法往往操作复杂、成本高且灵敏度有限。在此，我们介绍一种基于功能化液晶微腔与回音壁模式（WGM）激光的实时生物传感器，用于快速灵敏地检测ALT。用硬脂酸功能化的微腔对不同浓度的ALT催化酶促反应表现出明显的光学响应。微腔的高品质因数显著提高了其生物传感性能。模拟揭示了随着液晶微腔在径向和双极配置之间转变，WGM激光电场行为的变化。使用实验性WGM光谱和相应的偏振光学显微镜图像进行了进一步分析。实验结果表明，在0至240 U/l范围内，ALT浓度与反应时间之间存在很强的线性相关性。这种生物传感器的灵敏度为0.67 s/(U/l)，表明其作为早期肝损伤检测的一种有前景方法的潜力。除了体外验证，使用小鼠血清样本进行的体内验证进一步证实了其实际适用性，所得结果与使用商业检测试剂盒测试的结果一致。该方法提供了一种简单、经济高效的ALT检测方法，突出了液晶微腔在肝损伤监测生物传感中的潜力。
