Label-free Immunoassay-based Sensor Array for Assessment of Exposure to PAHs

描述(由申请人提供) 多环芳烃(PAHs)是由有机碳的不完全燃烧形成的一类复杂化合物，在汽车尾气、香烟烟雾、各种食品和工业废物副产品中都有大量存在。它们代表着严重的、无处不在的环境污染物。多环芳烃对个体的污染是通过吸入、摄取或接触发生的。有些多环芳烃具有致癌、致畸和致突变作用。生物监测对于对个人接触环境化学/生物制剂进行精确、定量的测量至关重要，因为它可以通过所有接触途径提供对综合吸收的评估。传统的生物监测方法往往复杂、耗时、劳动强度大、成本高。 在疾病的诊断和治疗中，免疫分析可能是最常用的生物分子检测和定量技术。目前免疫分析方法学的发展趋势是小型化、多检测化和自动化。另一方面，由于新的调查工具的出现，纳米技术最近蓬勃发展。这项技术使人们有可能在单个分子水平上表征化学和机械性质，发现新的现象和过程，并为科学提供具有独特特征的广泛工具、材料、设备和系统。 该项目的目的是开发一种新型的多重生物传感器，结合免疫分析(基于抗体的检测)和新兴的纳米技术(纳米级生物传感器)，以评估优先环境化学物质，特别是多环芳烃的内部暴露的实时和连续读数。在这种创新的方法中，通过纳米级的特定抗原-抗体相互作用来监测血清中靶向生物分子的存在。特定的抗原-抗体相互作用使这种方法能够高度精确地识别特定的抗原，如多环芳烃暴露的生物标记物，从而能够准确地评估暴露。这种方法与传统免疫分析技术相比的其他优点是：(I)不需要其他信号产生部分(标记剂)来测量抗原-抗体相互作用，(Ii)可以对信息性和预测性血清生物标记物进行多重评估，以及(Iii)广泛的应用。在第一阶段项目期间，将建立概念验证，包括检测血清中抗体/抗原的相互作用以及其他环境暴露组的其他生物标志物的存在。 建议的系统具有很高的用户接受度，并在许多领域立即得到商业应用。在医疗诊断市场中，建议的技术可以立即产生影响的关键细分市场包括医院、诊所、临床实验室、医疗保险公司和医疗保健点用途。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute a complex group formed from incomplete combustion of organic carbon and are found in significant amounts in automobile exhaust, cigarette smoke, various foods, and industrial waste by-products. They represent serious, ubiquitously environmental contaminants. PAHs contamination of individuals occurs by inhalation, ingestion, or contact. Some PAHs are carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic. Biomonitoring is essential to make precise, quantitative measurements of personal exposure to environmental chemical/biological agents because it can provide an assessment of the integrated uptake through all exposure routes. Conventional biomonitoring methods are often complex, time-consuming, labor intensive, and expensive. Immunoassay is probably the most commonly used technology for the detection and quantification of biomolecules in the diagnosis and management of disease. Current trends in the development of immunoassay methodologies are miniaturization, multiple detection, and automation. On the other hand, nanotechnology has recently boomed because of the availability of new investigative tools. This technology makes it possible to characterize chemical and mechanical properties at a single molecular level, discover novel phenomena and processes, and provide science with a wide range of tools, materials, devices, and systems with unique characteristics. The aim of this project is to develop a novel multiple biological sensor combining immunoassay (antibodybased detection) and emerging nanotechnology (a nanoscale biosensor) to assess real time and continuous readout of internal exposure to priority environmental chemical agents, specifically to PAHs. In this innovative approach, the presence of targeted biomolecules in serum is monitored by specific antigen-antibody interaction at the nanoscale. Specific antigen-antibody interactions make this approach highly precise to identify specific antigens, such as biomarkers for PAH exposure, enabling accurate assessment of the exposure. Other advantages of this approach over conventional immunoassay techniques are (i) no other signal-generating moieties (labeling agents) are needed to measure the antigen-antibody interaction, (ii) multiplex assessment of informative and predictive serum biomarkers is possible, and (iii) wide range of applications. During the Phase I project, the proof-of-concept will be established, including the detection of antibody/antigen interactions in serum and in the presence of other biomarkers of other environmental exposure set. The proposed system has a high potential for user acceptance and has immediate commercial applications in many areas. Key segments in the medical diagnostic markets where the proposed technology can have an immediate impact include hospitals, clinics, clinical laboratories, medical insurance companies, and point-of-care uses.