Aptamer functionalized cell membrane for brain and nerve cell sensing with high sensitivity and stability

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Accurate dopamine monitoring is crucial for understanding brain function and diseases.
• Existing electrochemical sensors face challenges in stability, selectivity, and fouling resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel modified carbon fiber electrode (CFE) for enhanced dopamine detection.
• To improve electrode biocompatibility, stability, and anti-fouling properties for in vivo applications.

Main Methods:

• Modification of CFEs with chitosan (CS), brain cell membrane (M), and aptamer cholesterol amphiphiles (DNA-cho).
• Electrochemical characterization of the modified electrode (DNA-cho-M-CS-CFE).
• Detection of dopamine in K+-induced brain slices and PC12 cells.

Main Results:

• The DNA-cho-M-CS-CFE exhibited uniform coverage and a cicada-like membrane structure.
• The modified electrode showed a wide linear range, high sensitivity, specificity, and stability for dopamine detection.
• The biosensor demonstrated excellent fouling resistance, biocompatibility, and successful detection in biological samples, revealing LPS-induced dopamine release changes.

Conclusions:

• The novel DNA-cho-M-CS-CFE offers superior electrochemical performance for long-term in vivo sensing.
• This provides a feasible scheme for studying neurochemical kinetics and brain diseases.