Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2025
Detection of Exosomal Biomarker by Electric Field-induced Release and Measurement EFIRM
Published on: January 23, 2015
Electrochemical Immunosensor for the Quantification of Galectin-3 in Saliva
Trey W Pittman1, Xi Zhang2, Chamindie Punyadeera2,3,4
1Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA.
Insights
Researchers developed a novel point-of-care biosensor using saliva to detect Galectin-3 (Gal-3) for heart failure (HF) management. This affordable device offers a promising alternative to current complex diagnostic methods.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Clinical Diagnostics
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a growing global health concern requiring accessible diagnostic tools.
- Current HF diagnostics are often costly, require specialized facilities, and limit access in underserved regions.
- Salivary biomarkers offer a potential alternative for point-of-care (POC) testing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a portable electrochemical immunoassay for quantifying salivary Galectin-3 (Gal-3) in HF patients.
- To assess the feasibility of using saliva as a diagnostic medium for HF management.
- To establish a cost-effective and accessible POC diagnostic solution for heart failure.
Main Methods:
- Development of an immunoassay utilizing a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) to detect Gal-3 in saliva.
- Quantification of Gal-3 levels using electrochemical detection with a small sample volume (10 μL).
- Evaluation of the assay's limit of detection, concentration-dependent response, and electrode storage stability.
Main Results:
- The electrochemical immunoassay demonstrated a concentration-dependent signal response for Gal-3 in the clinically relevant range.
- Achieved a limit of detection of 9.66 ng/mL for salivary Gal-3.
- The modified electrode exhibited good storage stability, with only a 10.9% loss in current response over 35 days.
Conclusions:
- The developed SPCE-based immunoassay is a valid POC biosensor system for heart failure management.
- Salivary Gal-3 detection offers a promising, accessible diagnostic approach for HF.
- This technology could improve healthcare access for HF patients in remote or resource-limited settings.
Abstract:
Heart failure (HF) is an emerging epidemic and remains a major clinical and public health problem. Advances in the healthcare management of HF may lead to lower morbidity and mortality rates but require diagnostics to guide the process. Current diagnostics/prognostics approaches rely on expensive equipment, centralized facilities and trained personnel, marginalizing healthcare access in developing countries and rural communities. These issues have led researchers to focus on developing portable and affordable diagnostics that can be deployed at the point-of-care (POC). Typically, HF biomarkers are measured in blood not saliva. Recently, our team correlated concentrations of salivary Galectin-3 (Gal-3) to outcomes in patients with HF. We have developed an analytical device which consists of an immunoassay based on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) to quantify Gal-3 levels in saliva samples. Using 10 μL of saliva, the proposed electrochemical immunoassay achieved a concentration dependent signal response in the clinically relevant range with a limit of detection of 9.66 ng/mL. In addition, the storage stability of the modified electrode was investigated, and only a 10.9% loss in current response over a 35-day period. The results of the immunoassay on the modified SPCEs suggest validity as a POC biosensor system for the management of HF.
