Hydrogel for Biomarker Sensor
The production process of hydrogel sensors is simple, resulting in their exceptional sensitivity and extensive range of detection. As a result, these sensors possess significant prospects for enduring utilization across various domains including disease identification, pharmaceutical analysis, and environmental examination.
Utilization of Hydrogel for Biomarker Sensor
Biomarkers are measurable entities that indicate a specific condition of a living system. The analysis of biomarkers primarily focuses on accurately determining the concentration of these entities in a sample, where concentrations outside the normal range suggest the presence of disease.
- Sensors for Detecting Proteins and Enzymes
The measurement of protein biomarkers not only enables the identification of various diseases but also facilitates the assessment of treatment efficacy. Acting as enzymes, they facilitate highly specific and selective reactions as catalysts. When exposed to solutions containing these particular enzymes, the hydrogels experienced complete and selective degradation through proteolysis of the specific sequence of amino acids. Hydrogels can serve as sensors for detecting the presence of specific enzymes and release drugs in vitro. This approach has the potential for developing targeted platforms for drug delivery.
Fig. 1 PEDOT/peptide hydrogel sensor preparation. (Völlmecke K, et al., 2022)
- Sensors for Detecting Hormones and Metabolites
Hormones are vital signaling molecules that play a crucial role in regulating various aspects of development, function, stress response, and reproduction in living organisms. The detection and quantification of hormones pose significant challenges due to their low concentrations (≤1 nM) in the bloodstream and rapid degradation under non-physiological conditions. Hydrogels offer a promising solution for hormone detection by providing larger surface areas that enhance interaction capabilities and signal intensities.
Fig. 2 Quantum dot (QD)-based FRET sensor immobilized in the hydrogel. (Völlmecke K, et al., 2022)
Metabolites play vital roles in cellular metabolism by acting as intermediates or end products. They are involved in energy conversion, signaling, and epigenetic regulation. Hence, it is crucial to accurately measure the concentrations of metabolites in blood for effective healthcare, diagnostics, and treatment purposes. Hydrogels have been employed in biosensors designed for detecting metabolites due to their capacity to efficiently retain larger amounts of target substances. This characteristic significantly enhances the sensitivity of these biosensors.
Fig. 3 Schematic of the preparation of the hydrogel droplets. (Völlmecke K, et al., 2022)
- Sensors for Detecting DNA
The detection of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is highly significant in research, particularly in the medical field where it is employed for the identification of gene mutations or diseases. Hydrogels demonstrate exceptional versatility in DNA detection as they can be easily modified with nucleic acids. In comparison to two-dimensional hydrogel matrices, the three-dimensional structure allows for improved probe capture and thus enhances sensitivity.
Fig. 4 Target miRNA-responsive DNA hydrogel-based SERS sensor. (Völlmecke K, et al., 2022)
The Hydrogel Development Services We Provide
With professional equipment and experienced specialists, Matexcel provides high-quality enzyme-responsive hydrogel development services, photoresponsive hydrogel development services, chitosan-based hydrogel development services, and chemical/biochemical stimuli responsive hydrogel development services. Please contact us for more information.
Reference
- Völlmecke K.; et al. Hydrogel-Based Biosensors. Gels. 2022;8(12):768.