High-sensitivity and high-specificity optical fiber SPR doxorubicin sensor enabled by Ti₃C₂ MXene sensitization

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Doxorubicin is a vital chemotherapy drug with a narrow therapeutic window, necessitating precise monitoring.
• Real-time doxorubicin concentration tracking is crucial for optimizing treatment efficacy and minimizing adverse effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive and specific sensor for real-time doxorubicin detection.
• To improve doxorubicin monitoring in chemotherapy patients for enhanced safety and treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a fiber surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor functionalized with Ti3C2 MXene.
• Covalent modification of the SPR sensor with doxorubicin-specific aptamers.
• Characterization of sensor performance, including sensitivity, specificity, and limit of detection.

Main Results:

• Ti3C2 MXene sensitization increased refractive index sensitivity by 60.0%.
• The aptamer-modified sensor achieved high sensitivity (0.24 nm/μM) and specificity for doxorubicin detection within a 10-100 μM range.
• A low limit of detection (2.79 μM) was achieved, with successful application in real serum samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed Ti3C2 MXene-SPR sensor offers a promising platform for sensitive and specific doxorubicin monitoring.
• The sensor's characteristics, including fast response and small size, meet clinical requirements for chemotherapy patient management.
• This technology has the potential to significantly improve personalized chemotherapy and patient safety.