Continuous-flow fluoro-immunosensor for paclitaxel measurement

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering
• Immunosensing Technology

Background:

• Paclitaxel is a crucial chemotherapy drug with a narrow therapeutic index, necessitating precise monitoring.
• Existing methods for paclitaxel determination can be time-consuming and complex.
• Development of rapid, sensitive, and accurate analytical tools is essential for effective patient treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel fluorescence-based continuous-flow immunosensor for sensitive and rapid paclitaxel determination.
• To optimize the immunosensor for high precision, accuracy, and reproducibility.
• To evaluate the immunosensor's performance and applicability in complex biological matrices like human plasma.

Main Methods:

• Immobilization of anti-paclitaxel antibody onto a glass capillary column via protein A crosslinking.
• Saturation of antibody binding sites with rhodamine-labeled paclitaxel.
• Competitive displacement assay using a flow-through spectrofluorometer to detect unbound labeled paclitaxel.
• Regeneration of the antibody binding sites for continuous use.

Main Results:

• The developed immunosensor demonstrated high sensitivity, with detection limits as low as 1 ng/ml.
• Assay linearity was observed up to 100 ng/ml with excellent reproducibility (RSD=4.8%).
• Rapid assay times, ranging from 2 to 8 minutes, were achieved.
• Successful application in determining paclitaxel concentrations in human plasma samples.

Conclusions:

• The fluorescence-based continuous-flow immunosensor provides a sensitive, precise, accurate, and fast method for paclitaxel quantification.
• The system's ability to regenerate antibody binding sites enhances its economic viability for clinical applications.
• This immunosensor represents a promising tool for therapeutic drug monitoring of paclitaxel.