Sers-based methodology for nanomolar methotrexate concentration detection for clinics

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Methotrexate (MTX) is a crucial drug in chemotherapy.
• Accurate and rapid detection of MTX in biological samples is vital for patient treatment.
• Current detection methods like HPLC can be time-consuming and expensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, rapid, and reliable method for detecting methotrexate (MTX) in human blood serum.
• To utilize truncated triangular silver nanoparticles (AgNP) for enhanced detection sensitivity.
• To provide a cost-effective alternative to existing clinical diagnostic techniques.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of truncated triangular silver nanoparticles (AgNP) on quartz glass substrates.
• Application of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for MTX detection.
• Testing the method with pure MTX, MTX with metabolites, and patient serum samples.

Main Results:

• Detection of pure MTX down to 10^-9 M concentration.
• Successful detection of MTX in human plasma samples at clinical concentrations up to 10^-6 M.
• Demonstrated reliability and speed of the developed SERS-based method.

Conclusions:

• The developed AgNP-based SERS method provides a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective approach for MTX detection in serum.
• This technique shows potential as a valuable alternative to conventional methods like HPLC in clinical settings.
• The study highlights the utility of nanomaterials in advancing diagnostic capabilities for therapeutic drug monitoring.