Advances in electrochemical detection for study of neurodegenerative disorders

Recent Advancements in Biosensors for the Detection and Characterization of Amyloids: A Review

Modern medicine has increased the human lifespan. However, with an increase in average lifespan risk of amyloidosis increases. Amyloidosis is a condition characterized by protein misfolding and aggregation. Early detection of amyloidosis is crucial, yet conventional diagnostic methods are costly and lack precision, necessitating innovative tools. This review explores recent advancements in diverse amyloid detection methodologies, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary research to develop a miniaturized electrochemical biosensor leveraging nanotechnology. However, the diagnostics industry faces obstacles such as skilled labor shortages, standardized selection processes, and concurrent multi-analyte identification challenges. Research efforts are focused on integrating electrochemical techniques into clinical applications and diagnostics, with the successful transition of miniaturized technologies from development to testing posing a significant hurdle. Label-free transduction techniques like voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) have gained traction due to their rapid, cost-effective, and user-friendly nature.

Electrochemical Analysis in Studying β-Amyloid Aggregation

β-amyloid (Aβ) is comprised of a group of peptides formed as a result of cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein by secretases. Aβ aggregation is considered as a central event in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, the most common human neurodegenerative disorder. Molecular mechanisms of Aβ aggregation have intensively being investigated using synthetic Aβ peptides by methods based on monitoring of aggregates, including determination of their size and structure. In this review, an orthogonal approach to the study of Aβ aggregation is considered, which relies on electrochemical registration of the loss of peptide monomers. Electrochemical analysis of Aβ (by voltammetry and amperometric flow injection analysis) is based on registration of the oxidation signal of electroactive amino acid residues of the peptide on an electrode surface. The Aβ oxidation signal disappears, when the peptide is included in the aggregate. The advantages and disadvantages of electrochemical analysis for the study of spontaneous and metal-induced aggregation of Aβ, comparative analysis of various peptide isoforms, and study of the process of complexation of metal ions with the metal-binding domain of Aβ are discussed. It is concluded that the combined use of the electrochemical method and the methods based on detection of Aβ aggregates makes it possible to obtain more complete information about the mechanisms of peptide aggregation.

Collision-Based Electrochemical Detection of Lysozyme Aggregation

Proteins are utilized across many biomedical and pharmaceutical industries; therefore, methods for rapid and accurate monitoring of protein aggregation are needed to ensure proper product quality. Although these processes have been previously studied, it is difficult to comprehensively evaluate protein folding and aggregation by traditional characterization techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), electron microscopy, or X-ray diffraction, which require sample pre-treatment and do not represent native state proteins in solution. Herein, we report early tracking of lysozyme (Lyz) aggregation states by using single-particle collision electrochemistry (SPCE) of silver nanoparticle (AgNP) redox probes. The method relies on monitoring the rapid interaction of Lyz with AgNPs, which decreases the number of single AgNPs available for collisions and ultimately the frequency of oxidative impacts in the chronoamperometric profile. When Lyz is in a non-aggregated monomeric form, the protein forms a homogeneous coverage onto the surface of AgNPs, stabilizing the particles. When Lyz is aggregated, part of the AgNP surface remains uncoated, promoting the agglomeration of Lyz-AgNP conjugates. The frequency of AgNP impacts decreases with increasing aggregation time, providing a metric to track protein aggregation. Visualizations of integrated oxidation charge-transfer data displayed significant differences between the charge transfer per impact for AgNP samples alone and in the presence of non-aggregated and aggregated Lyz with 99% confidence using parametric ANOVA tests. Electrochemical results revealed meaningful associations with UV-vis, circular dichroism, and AFM, demonstrating that SPCE can be used as an alternative method for studying protein aggregation. This electrochemical technique could serve as a powerful tool to indirectly evaluate protein stability and screen protein samples for formation of aggregates.

Biosensors for the Detection of Interaction between Legionella pneumophila Collagen-Like Protein and Glycosaminoglycans

The adhesin Legionella collagen-like (Lcl) protein can bind to extracellular matrix components and mediate the binding of Legionella pneumophila to host cells. In this study, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensors were employed to characterize these interactions between glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and the adhesin Lcl protein. Fucoidan displayed a high affinity (K_D 18 nM) for Lcl protein. Chondroitin sulfate A and dermatan sulfate differ in the position of a carboxyl group replacing D-glucuronate with D-iduronate. Our results indicated that the presence of D-iduronate in dermatan sulfate strongly hindered its interaction with Lcl. These biophysical studies provided valuable information in our understanding of adhesin-ligand interactions related to Legionella pneumophila infections.

A hydrogel biosensor for high selective and sensitive detection of amyloid-beta oligomers

Background

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive and memory impairment. It is the most common neurological disease that causes dementia. Soluble amyloid-beta oligomers (AβO) in blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are the pathogenic biomarker correlated with AD.

Methods

A simple electrochemical biosensor using graphene oxide/gold nanoparticles (GNPs) hydrogel electrode was developed in this study. Thiolated cellular prion protein (PrP^C) peptide probe was immobilized on GNPs of the hydrogel electrode to construct an AβO biosensor. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was utilized for AβO analysis.

Results

The specific binding between AβO and PrP^C probes on the hydrogel electrode resulted in an increase in the electron-transfer resistance. The biosensor showed high specificity and sensitivity for AβO detection. It could selectively differentiate AβO from amyloid-beta (Aβ) monomers or fibrils. Meanwhile, it was highly sensitive to detect as low as 0.1 pM AβO in artificial CSF or blood plasma. The linear range for AβO detection is from 0.1 pM to 10 nM.

Conclusion

This biosensor could be used as a cost-effective tool for early diagnosis of AD due to its high electrochemical performance and bionic structure.

The Analgesic Acetaminophen and the Antipsychotic Clozapine Can Each Redox-Cycle with Melanin

Melanins are ubiquitous but their complexity and insolubility has hindered characterization of their structures and functions. We are developing electrochemical reverse engineering methodologies that focus on properties and especially on redox properties. Previous studies have shown that melanins (i) are redox-active and can rapidly and repeatedly exchange electrons with diffusible oxidants and reductants, and (ii) have redox potentials in midregion of the physiological range. These properties suggest the functional activities of melanins will depend on their redox context. The brain has a complex redox context with steep local gradients in O₂ that can promote redox-cycling between melanin and diffusible redox-active chemical species. Here, we performed in vitro reverse engineering studies and report that melanins can redox-cycle with two common redox-active drugs. Experimentally, we used two melanin models: a convenient natural melanin derived from cuttlefish (Sepia melanin) and a synthetic cysteinyldopamine-dopamine core-shell model of neuromelanin. One drug, acetaminophen (APAP), has been used clinically for over a century, and recent studies suggest that low doses of APAP can protect the brain from oxidative-stress-induced toxicity and neurodegeneration, while higher doses can have toxic effects in the brain. The second drug, clozapine (CLZ), is a second generation antipsychotic with polypharmacological activities that remain incompletely understood. These in vitro observations suggest that the redox activities of drugs may be relevant to their modes-of-action, and that melanins may interact with drugs in ways that affect their activities, metabolism, and toxicities.

Early detection of Alzheimer's disease using a biosensor based on electrochemically-reduced graphene oxide and gold nanowires for the quantification of serum microRNA-137

Serum miR-137 is quantified for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease using a electrochemically reduced graphene oxide and gold nanowire modified electrode.

Alzheimer's disease amyloid beta peptides in vitro electrochemical oxidation

The oxidative behaviour of the human amyloid beta (Aβ_1-40 and Aβ_1-42) peptides and a group of similar peptides: control inverse (Aβ_40-1 and Aβ_42-1), mutants (Aβ_1-40Phe¹⁰ and Aβ_1-40Nle³⁵), rat Aβ_1-40Rat, and fragments (Aβ_1-28, Aβ_1-16, Aβ_10-20, Aβ_12-28, and Aβ_17-42), in solution or adsorbed, at a glassy carbon electrode, by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry, were investigated and compared. Structurally the Aβ_1-40 and Aβ_1-42 sequences contain five electroactive amino acid residues, one tyrosine (Tyr¹⁰), three histidines (His⁶, His¹³ and His¹⁴) and one methionine (Met³⁵). The Aβ peptide 3D structure influenced the exposure of the redox residues to the electrode surface and their oxidation peak currents. Depending on the amino acid sequence length and content, the Aβ peptides gave one or two oxidation peaks. The first electron transfer reaction corresponded to the tyrosine amino acid residue oxidation, and the second to both histidines and methionine amino acid residues. The highest contribution to the second oxidation peak current was from His¹³, followed by His¹⁴ and His⁶ residues, and Met³⁵ residue had the lowest contribution. The Aβ peptides electron transfer depended on peptide hydrophobicity and 3D structure, the redox residues position in the sequence, the redox residues close to N-termini giving the highest oxidation peak currents.

Biosensors in Health Care: The Milestones Achieved in Their Development towards Lab-on-Chip-Analysis

Immense potentiality of biosensors in medical diagnostics has driven scientists in evolution of biosensor technologies and innovating newer tools in time. The cornerstone of the popularity of biosensors in sensing wide range of biomolecules in medical diagnostics is due to their simplicity in operation, higher sensitivity, ability to perform multiplex analysis, and capability to be integrated with different function by the same chip. There remains a huge challenge to meet the demands of performance and yield to its simplicity and affordability. Ultimate goal stands for providing point-of-care testing facility to the remote areas worldwide, particularly the developing countries. It entails continuous development in technology towards multiplexing ability, fabrication, and miniaturization of biosensor devices so that they can provide lab-on-chip-analysis systems to the community.

[Electrochemical methods for biomedical investigations]

In the review, authors discussed recently published experimental data concerning highly sensitive electrochemical methods and technologies for biomedical investigations in the postgenomic era. Developments in electrochemical biosensors systems for the analysis of various bio objects are also considered: cytochrome P450s, cardiac markers, bacterial cells, the analysis of proteins based on electro oxidized amino acids as a tool for analysis of conformational events. The electroanalysis of catalytic activity of cytochromes P450 allowed developing system for screening of potential substrates, inhibitors or modulators of catalytic functions of this class of hemoproteins. The highly sensitive quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) immunosensor has been developed for analysis of bio affinity interactions of antibodies with troponin I in plasma. The QCM technique allowed real-time monitoring of the kinetic differences in specific interactions and nonspecific sorption, with out multiple labeling procedures and separation steps. The affinity binding process was characterized by the association (ka) and the dissociation (kd) kinetic constants and the equilibrium association (K) constant, calculated using experimental data. Based on the electroactivity of bacterial cells, the electrochemical system for determination of sensitivity of the microbial cells to antibiotics cefepime, ampicillin, amikacin, and erythromycin was proposed. It was shown that the minimally detectable cell number corresponds to 106 CFU per electrode. The electrochemical method allows estimating the degree of E.coli JM109 cells resistance to antibiotics within 2-5 h. Electrosynthesis of polymeric analogs of antibodies for myoglobin (molecularly imprinted polymer, MIP) on the surface of graphite screen-printed electrodes as sensor elements with o- phenylenediamine as the functional monomer was developed. Molecularly imprinted polymers demonstrate selective complementary binding of a template protein molecule (myoglobin) by the "key-lock" principle.