Bioelectronic sensing platform emulating the human endocannabinoid system for assessing and modulating of cannabinoid...

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Neuroscience
• Biosensors

Background:

• Cannabinoids modulate physiological and neuromodulatory processes via the endocannabinoid system.
• Their role in neurodegenerative diseases and reward pathways highlights the need for activity modulation.
• Agonists and antagonists are key for understanding and developing cannabinoid-based therapeutics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel bioelectronic sensor for monitoring cannabinoid receptor activity.
• To assess the agonistic and antagonistic properties of cannabinoid ligands.
• To provide a platform for detecting and analyzing cannabinoid interactions.

Main Methods:

• Produced human cannabinoid receptor 1 (hCB1R) using an Escherichia coli expression system.
• Incorporated hCB1R into nanodiscs (NDs) and immobilized them on a single-walled carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (swCNT-FET).
• Constructed a bioelectronic sensing platform for real-time detection and analysis.

Main Results:

• The sensor detected the cannabinoid ligand anandamide (AEA) at ultra-low concentrations (1 fM) with high selectivity.
• Successfully identified the hCB1R agonist Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol.
• Demonstrated antagonism by observing rimonabant's effect on AEA binding, confirming modulation.

Conclusions:

• The developed bioelectronic sensing platform offers sensitive and selective detection of cannabinoid ligands.
• The system can effectively analyze cannabinoid agonism and antagonism.
• This technology holds significant potential for drug discovery and understanding the endocannabinoid system.