Aptamer-based Field-Effect Biosensor for Tenofovir Detection.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Maintaining therapeutic drug concentrations is critical during medical treatment.
• A need exists for reliable point-of-care drug monitoring systems.
• Existing methods may lack the necessary sensitivity or specificity for real-time analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel biosensor for sensitive and selective drug monitoring.
• To create a point-of-care system for real-time therapeutic drug concentration analysis.
• To demonstrate the utility of aptamer-functionalized field-effect transistors for drug detection.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a biosensor using aptamers as recognition elements and field-effect transistors as transducers.
• Optimization of the biointerface using a binary self-assembled monolayer of aptamer and 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH).
• Characterization using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance; testing with tenofovir as a model drug.

Main Results:

• Optimized biointerface enhanced sensitivity towards the target drug.
• The biosensor exhibited a linear detection range of 1 nM to 100 nM for tenofovir.
• Achieved a limit of detection of 1.2 nM with negligible response to non-specific molecules.
• Successfully demonstrated drug detection in human serum samples.

Conclusions:

• The aptamer-based field-effect transistor biosensor provides a sensitive and selective platform for drug monitoring.
• The system is suitable for real-time, point-of-care therapeutic drug concentration analysis.
• This technology holds promise for improving patient treatment outcomes through precise drug level management.