A dual strategy for sensing metals with a nano ‘pincer’ scavenger for in vitro diagnostics and detection of liver diseases from blood samples

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces, B, Biointerfaces B, Biointerfaces, 2015-02, Vol.126, p.444-451
• Main Authors: Misra, Santosh K., Kim, Benjamin, Kolmodin, Nicholas J., Pan, Dipanjan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Blood Chemical Analysis - methods; Copper; Copper - blood; Diagnostic systems; Diagnostics; Diseases; Humans; In vitro testing; Liver; Liver Diseases - blood; Liver Diseases - diagnosis; Metal sensing; Micelles; Molecular Structure; Nano pincer; Nanostructure; Nanostructures - chemistry; Particle Size; Scavengers; Surface Properties; Wilson's disease
• ISSN: 0927-7765; 1873-4367
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2014.12.048

•A dual, non-invasive approach to detect the elevated level of metals in patients with liver disease.•Organic scavenger molecule showed copper ions detection sensitivity of 1.35×10−2μg/L in serum.•Polymeric micellar inclusions showed tissue distribution for feasibility of directing to liver.•Particles follow a faster kinetics and most of the micelles cleared from the circulation within 24h.•Polymeric micelles promises for drug delivery, diagnosis and treatment in the clinic. This work presents a dual, non-invasive approach for the detection of elevated level of metals in patients with liver disease. A highly sensitive, small molecule ‘pincer’ scavenger was synthesized for the detection and quantification of copper in serum and systemically in vivo. For the in vitro diagnostics, the developed technique involves only a routine capillary blood sampling or venipuncture, removing the need for invasive biopsies. The organic scavenger molecule showed high specificity toward copper ions, with a detection sensitivity of 1.35×10−2μg/L in mouse serum. Furthermore, for the systemic detection of copper in the liver, a polymeric nanopincer has been designed and studied. The small molecule scavengers were stably incorporated into polymeric micelles via its long acyl chains and polymeric micelle proved to be a stable carrier when injected into mice intravenously. The organic scavenger molecule was found to be highly fluorescent and specific toward Cu2+ and can potentially help ameliorate diseases regarding accretion of copper in certain vital organs. The strategy and the results provide a novel, non-invasive dual nanomedicine approach for the early detection and treatment of excessive metal deposits in the human organs.