Efficient detection of a biomarker for infant jaundice by a europium(iii)-organic framework luminescence sensor

Yellow Emissive Carbon Dots - A Robust Nanoprobe for Highly Sensitive Quantification of Jaundice Biomarker and Mitochondria Targeting in Cancer Cells

The abnormally high level of bilirubin (BR) in biofluids (human serum and urine) indicates a high probability of jaundice and liver dysfunction. However, quantification of BR as the Jaundice biomarker is difficult due to the interference of various biomolecules in serum and urine. To address this issue, we developed a fluorescence-based detection strategy, for which yellow emissive carbon dots (YCDs) were produced from a one-step solvothermal process using phloroglucinol and thionin acetate as chemical precursors. The as-fabricated YCDs exhibited a strong fluorescence peak at the wavelength of 542 nm upon excitation at 390 nm. We used YCDs for detecting BR through the fluorescence turn-off mechanism, unveiling the excellent sensitivity in the linear range of 0.5-12.5 μM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 9.62 nM, which was far below the clinically relevant range. The analytical nanoprobe also offered excellent detection specificity for quantifying BR in real samples. Moreover, the biocompatible fluorescent nanoprobe was successfully employed to target mitochondria in live cancer cells. A colocalization study confirmed that YCDs possessed the ability to target mitochondria and overlapped completely with MitoTracker Red. The developed nanoprobe of YCDs turned out to be straightforward in their synthesis, noninvasive, and can be utilized for biomedical sensors to diagnose the onset of jaundice as well as for mitochondria targeting.

Development of Non-Invasive Biosensors for Neonatal Jaundice Detection: A Review

One of the most common problems many babies encounter is neonatal jaundice. The symptoms are yellowing of the skin or eyes because of bilirubin (from above 2.0 to 2.5 mg/dL in the blood). If left untreated, it can lead to serious neurological complications. Traditionally, jaundice detection has relied on invasive blood tests, but developing non-invasive biosensors has provided an alternative approach. This systematic review aims to assess the advancement of these biosensors. This review discusses the many known invasive and non-invasive diagnostic modalities for detecting neonatal jaundice and their limitations. It also notes that the recent research and development on non-invasive biosensors for neonatal jaundice diagnosis is still in its early stages, with the majority of investigations being in vitro or at the pre-clinical level. Non-invasive biosensors could revolutionize neonatal jaundice detection; however, a number of issues still need to be solved before this can happen. These consist of in-depth validation studies, affordable and user-friendly gadgets, and regulatory authority approval. To create biosensors that meet regulatory requirements, additional research is required to make them more precise and affordable.

The Effect of Linker-to-Metal Energy Transfer on the Photooxidation Performance of an Isostructural Series of Pyrene-Based Rare-Earth Metal-Organic Frameworks

The tetratopic linker, 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(p-benzoic acid)pyrene (H4 TBAPy) along with rare-earth (RE) ions is used for the synthesis of 9 isostructures of a metal-organic framework (MOF) with shp topology, named RE-CU-10 (RE = Y(III), Gd(III), Tb(III), Dy(III), Ho(III), Er(III), Tm(III), Yb(III), and Lu(III)). The synthesis of each RE-CU-10 analogue requires different reaction conditions to achieve phase pure products. Single crystal X-ray diffraction indicates the presence of a RE9 -cluster in Y- to Tm-CU-10, while a RE11 -cluster is observed for Yb- and Lu-CU-10. The photooxidation performance of RE-CU-10 analogues is evaluated, observing competition between linker-to-metal energy transfer versus the generation of singlet oxygen. The singlet oxygen produced is used to detoxify a mustard gas simulant 2-chloroethylethyl sulfide, with half-lives ranging from 4.0 to 5.8 min, some of the fastest reported to date using UV-irradiation and < 1 mol% catalyst, in methanol under O2 saturation.

A novel Zn/Eu-MOF for the highly sensitive, reversible and visualized sensing of ofloxacin residues in pork, beef and fish

The study investigates a bimetallic organic framework (Zn/Eu-MOF) based fluorescent probe for visual detection of ofloxacin (OFL) in pork, beef and fish. The developed sensing probe recognizes OFL through internal filtration and cation-π interaction between OFL and Zn/Eu-MOF, resulting in a distinct color change from orange-red to light green. The content of OFL can be determined through RGB analysis by a mobile-phone. The developed sensing probe offers several advantages such as broad linear range (0.1 ∼ 80 μM), rapid response time (30 s), low detection line (0.44 μM). The effectiveness of the sensing probe can last for five rounds with good recovery. Moreover, the application of the sensing probe on pork, beef and fish samples are reliable, with recoveries ranging from 93.4 to 112.1%, and the relative standard deviations (RSD) within 1.17% to 2.06%. These results suggest that the developed sensing probe could have significant potential for practical on-site test in food.

Nanomaterials for fluorescent assay of bilirubin

The accumulation of bilirubin in blood is associated with many diseases. Sensitive and accurate detection of bilirubin is of great significance for personal health care. The rapid development of fluorescent nanomaterials promotes rapid development in the bilirubin assay. In this review, traditional methods for detection of bilirubin are briefly presented to compare with fluorescent nanosensors. Subsequently, the recent progress of different types of fluorescent nanomaterials for determination of bilirubin is summarized. Further, the performance of fluorescent nanosensors and conventional techniques for sensing bilirubin are compared. To this end, the challenges and prospects concerning the topics are discussed. This review will provide some introductory knowledge for researchers to understand the status and importance of fluorescent nanosensors for sensing bilirubin.

Current and emerging technologies for the timely screening and diagnosis of neonatal jaundice

Neonatal jaundice is one of the most common clinical conditions affecting newborns. For most newborns, jaundice is harmless, however, a proportion of newborns develops severe neonatal jaundice requiring therapeutic interventions, accentuating the need to have reliable and accurate screening tools for timely recognition across different health settings. The gold standard method in diagnosing jaundice involves a blood test and requires specialized hospital-based laboratory instruments. Despite technological advancements in point-of-care laboratory medicine, there is limited accessibility of the specialized devices and sample stability in geographically remote areas. Lack of suitable testing options leads to delays in timely diagnosis and treatment of clinically significant jaundice in developed and developing countries alike. There has been an ever-increasing need for a low-cost, simple to use screening technology to improve timely diagnosis and management of neonatal jaundice. Consequently, several point-of-care (POC) devices have been developed to address this concern. This paper aims to review the literature, focusing on emerging technologies in the screening and diagnosing of neonatal jaundice. We report on the challenges associated with the existing screening tools, followed by an overview of emerging sensors currently in pre-clinical development and the emerging POC devices in clinical trials to advance the screening of neonatal jaundice. The benefits offered by emerging POC devices include their ease of use, low cost, and the accessibility of rapid response test results. However, further clinical trials are required to overcome the current limitations of the emerging POC's before their implementation in clinical settings. Hence, the need for a simple to use, low-cost POC jaundice detection technology for newborns remains an unsolved challenge globally.

Fabricated Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as luminescent and electrochemical biosensors for cancer biomarkers detection

In the health domain, a major challenge is the detection of diseases using rapid and cost-effective techniques. Most of the existing cancer detection methods show poor sensitivity and selectivity and are time consuming with high cost. To overcome this challenge, we analyzed porous fabricated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that have better structures and porosities for enhanced biomarker sensing. Here, we summarize the use of fabricated MOF luminescence and electrochemical sensors in devices for cancer biomarker detection. Various strategies of fabrication and the role of fabricated materials in sensing cancer biomarkers have been studied and described. The structural properties, sensing mechanisms, roles of noncovalent interactions, limits of detection, modeling, advantages, and limitations of MOF sensors have been well-discussed. The study presents an innovative technique to detect the cancer biomarkers by the use of luminescence and electrochemical MOF sensors. In addition, the potential association studies have been opening the way for personalized patient treatments and the development of new cancer-detecting devices.

Fabrication of a Stable Europium-Based Luminescent Sensor for Fast Detection of Urinary 1-Hydroxypyrene Constructed from a Tetracarboxylate Ligand

A novel europium-centered metal-organic framework fabricated from a symmetric and rigid ligand with tetracarboxylate groups, 2,6-di(2',5'-dicarboxylphenyl)pyridine (H₄ddpp), has been synthesized solvothermally. Characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, compound 1 features a 3D microporous structure with a butterfly-shaped trinuclear Eu₃(COO)₆ secondary building unit. Interestingly, three kinds of 1D open channels viewed in different directions in compound 1 are discovered, and the void ratio is calculated to be 47.5% by PLATON software. Solid-state luminescent experiments at 298 K reveal that compound 1 displays naked-eye characteristic red emission of Eu³⁺ ions monitoring the typical ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂ transition. The exploration of luminescent sensing tests discloses that compound 1 has an outstanding capacity for recognizing urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) with a quite fast response and high sensitivity, giving the quenching efficiency of 98.2% after the immersion time for just 1 min and 73.2% with the amount of 1-HP only 0.05 mg/mL. To our knowledge, it is the first reported Eu-MOF as an extremely fast-responsive and highly sensitive luminescent sensor for 1-HP which is interference-free from other urinary components. Furthermore, the successful preparation of the luminescent test papers makes compound 1 convenient, easy, and real-time in the application for sensing 1-HP in biomedical and biological fields.

Biosensors and biomarkers for determining gestational diabetes mellitus and jaundice in children

Gestational diabetes and jaundice are the correlated diseases predominantly found in mother and newborn child. Jaundice is a neonatal complication with an increased risk when mother has gestational diabetes. Mothers with diabetes at an early stage of gestational age are at higher risk for hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice) and hypoglycemia. So, it is mandatory to monitor the condition of diabetes and jaundice during the pregnancy period for a healthy child and safest delivery. On the other hand, nanotechnology has displayed a rapid advancement that can be implemented to overcome these issues. The development of high-performance diagnosis using appropriate biomarkers provides their efficacy in the detection gestational diabetes and jaundice. This review covers the aspects from a fast-developing field to generate nanosensors in the nanosized dimensions for the applications to overcome these complications by coupling diagnostics with biomarkers. Further, the serum-based biomarkers have been discussed for these inborn complications and also the diagnosis with the current trend.

Designed Tb(III)-Functionalized MOF-808 as Visible Fluorescent Probes for Monitoring Bilirubin and Identifying Fingerprints

Abnormal bilirubin (BR) level is a sign of several fatal diseases, so it is of great significance and challenge to develop a facile and effective family routine strategy for BR sensing. Herein, novel water-stable Tb³⁺@MOF-808 has been synthesized using a coordinated postsynthetic modification strategy and designed as a convenient and efficient fluorescence probe. The fabricated fluorescent probe exhibits a remarkable fluorescence quenching effect with the successive addition of BR, which displays fascinating features, such as fast response time, high sensitivity, and excellent selectivity. The quenching mechanism between the fluorescent probe and BR was also illustrated in detail. Importantly, the devised fluorescent probe successfully achieved the determination of BR in serum and urine, which has also been successfully used in the design of portable BR test paper. The developed monitoring platform for BR levels in vivo provides promising application potential for the prevention and early diagnosis of fatal diseases. Additionally, a molecular logic gate device that performs intelligent fluorescent sensing of BR was constructed. More interestingly, Tb³⁺@MOF-808 is used for development of latent fingerprints on different guest surfaces. The lines of the fluorescent fingerprints are clear and coherent, the details are obvious, and even sweat pores can be observed by naked eyes, which provides new means for tracking the criminal clue and handling cases efficiently.

Aggregation-induced emission enhancement of gold nanoclusters in metal-organic frameworks for highly sensitive fluorescent detection of bilirubin

A fluorescence analysis method based on gold nanocluster (AuNC) and metal-organic framework (MOF) composite materials (AuNCs@ZIF-8) was established for highly sensitive detection of bilirubin (BR). First, AuNCs@ZIF-8 was successfully obtained by co-precipitation and displayed an aggregation-induced emission enhancement by the confinement effect of the MOFs (i.e., ZIF-8). The product showed approximately 7.0 times enhancement in the quantum yield and longer fluorescence lifetime from 2.29 μs to 11.51 μs compared with AuNCs. When BR combined with the metal node Zn2+ of ZIF-8, the skeleton of the composite was destroyed, leading to a great decrease in the fluorescence intensity by the transformation of the AuNCs from the aggregated state to dispersed state. The linear range for the detection of BR was 0.1-5.0 μM, with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.07 μM (S/N = 3). The AuNCs@ZIF-8 exhibited a selective response toward BR within 5 min and detected BR in human serum. The long-wavelength emission by AuNCs avoided the interference of the complex biomatrix background fluorescence, indicating their great application prospects for clinical diagnosis.

A selective and sensitive fluorescent probe for bilirubin in human serum based on europium(III) post-functionalized Zr(IV)-Based MOFs

In the present study, a kind of Eu(III) post-functionalized Zr(IV)-based metal-organic framework (UiO-66(COOH)₂, Zr-MOF: Eu³⁺) was synthesized and utilized as an independently luminescent probe for sensing bilirubin (BR) in human serum, a biomarker of jaundice hepatitis. It can be served as a turn-off fluorescent switch for BR because its red emission from Eu³⁺ can be easily quenched by BR through a fluorescent resonant energy transfer (FRET) process between BR and its ligands, and as a result, BR is recognized successfully. Particularly, Zr-MOF: Eu³⁺ has shown many appealing properties, such as high sensitivity, quick response (less than 1 min), broad response window (0-15 μM), and excellent selectivity. Most importantly, a kind of portable test paper based on Zr-MOF: Eu³⁺ probe has been developed for directly assessing the level of BR in real human serum and further diagnosing bilirubin-related diseases via visually observing the luminescent color variation.