Concept and approach of human signal-molecular-profiling database: a pilot study on depression using Lab-on-chips

Signal molecular profiling (SMP) in serum can reveal abundant medical information about the human body. The construction of a human signal-molecular-profiling database (HSMPD) will greatly prompt the research of medical science. However, some challenges hinder the construction of HSMPD. A promising strategy is proposed to provide a convenient way for the establishment of HSMPD. Firstly, a low-cost and high-throughput tool for measuring SMP should be developed and standardized. When the SMP-oriented tools were accepted by most hospitals worldwide, SMP information will be decoded by a cloud-based system and stored into the online database naturally. In the pilot study, an ultrasensitive Lab-on-chips (LOC) device was developed as a specific tool for SMP. Clinical serum samples from 10 women within 4 weeks of giving birth, including 2 patients with postpartum depression were studied by the LOC devices, since accumulating evidence has indicated that hormones and cytokines in patients with mood disorders are abnormal. HSMPD may be applied to diagnose depression in the future. Here, five kinds of signal molecules were quantified on the devices, namely, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6 and IL-8. The preliminary results showed that the concentrations of IL-2 and IL-8 in the depression group may be higher than those in the control group, whereas the other kinds of signal molecules did not change significantly. Although the correlations are not enough to induct any diagnostic criterion, the SMP-oriented tool was verified. The results also indicated that the strategy to establish HSMPD is conceivable.