Folz J, Wasserman JH, Jo J, Wang X, Kopelman R. Photoacoustic Chemical Imaging Sodium Nano-Sensor Utilizing a Solvatochromic Dye Transducer for In Vivo Application.
BIOSENSORS 2023;
13:923. [PMID:
37887116 PMCID:
PMC10605089 DOI:
10.3390/bios13100923]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Sodium has many vital and diverse roles in the human body, including maintaining the cellular pH, generating action potential, and regulating osmotic pressure. In cancer, sodium dysregulation has been correlated with tumor growth, metastasis, and immune cell inhibition. However, most in vivo sodium measurements are performed via Na23 NMR, which is handicapped by slow acquisition times, a low spatial resolution (in mm), and low signal-to-noise ratios. We present here a plasticizer-free, ionophore-based sodium-sensing nanoparticle that utilizes a solvatochromic dye transducer to circumvent the pH cross-sensitivity of most previously reported sodium nano-sensors. We demonstrate that this nano-sensor is non-toxic, boasts a 200 μM detection limit, and is over 1000 times more selective for sodium than potassium. Further, the in vitro photoacoustic calibration curve presented demonstrates the potential of this nano-sensor for performing the in vivo chemical imaging of sodium over the entire physiologically relevant concentration range.
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