A 3D-printed SERS bionic taster for dynamic tumor metabolites detection.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Tumor-associated metabolites in the extracellular microenvironment are crucial indicators of cancer development, progression, and treatment response.
• Existing metabolite detection methods are often inefficient for capturing dynamic metabolic alterations in real-time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) bionic taster for the real-time analysis of extracellular metabolites.
• To enable in-situ, simultaneous, and quantitative detection of multiple tumor-associated metabolites.
• To facilitate dynamic monitoring of cellular metabolic reprogramming in cancer.

Main Methods:

• Development of a SERS bionic taster utilizing responsive Raman reporters for metabolite activation detection.
• Integration of the SERS sensor into a 3D-printed fixture compatible with standard cell culture dishes for in-situ spectral acquisition.
• Application of SERS spectral changes to analyze and quantify extracellular metabolites.

Main Results:

• The SERS bionic taster successfully enabled real-time analysis of extracellular metabolites.
• The sensor provided instant information on cell metabolism through SERS spectral changes.
• The system demonstrated capability for simultaneous and quantitative analysis of multiple tumor-associated metabolites and dynamic monitoring of metabolic reprogramming.

Conclusions:

• The developed SERS bionic taster is a promising tool for real-time, in-situ analysis of extracellular metabolites.
• This technology offers significant potential for advancing the investigation of cancer biology and therapeutics.
• The ability to dynamically monitor metabolic reprogramming opens new avenues for cancer research.