Electrochemical Aptamer-Based Biosensors for Salivary Molecular Measurements

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Developing a device amenable to the point-of-care for the measurement of the concentrations of specific biomarkers that are inherent to the onset of gingivitis would transform how this disease is currently diagnosed in the clinic. This technology would, likewise, allow patients to remain connected to their oral health within the comfort of their homes in an analogous fashion to the glucometer. In response, we propose here, with the collaboration of our industrial partner, to evaluate the ability of electrochemical aptamer-based biosensors to readily deploy in undiluted saliva, a non-invasive matrix to monitor patients' health and measure inherent biomarkers of interest associated with this disease. Electrochemical aptamer-based biosensors have demonstrated unprecedented abilities in performing real-time, continuous, single-step and reagentless measurements of a wide range of molecules directly in undiluted complex matrices, like whole blood, and even directly in the living body. Unfortunately, no viability studies toward their ability to readily deploy in undiluted saliva have been completed, which in turn, limits their applicability in the clinic and at the point-of-care. Considering that electrochemical aptamer-based biosensors can detect virtually any target of interest, via the simple expedient of changing the aptamer, they could prove transformative in an oral health setting to help providers identify risks and optimize prevention. This proposal is for securing the necessary funds to undertake a proof-of-concept study of model systems electrochemical aptamer-based biosensors deployed in undiluted saliva to evaluate its impact on the analytical performance of this sensing platform and evaluate the need to develop drift and calibration strategies. We envision that this viability study will prove essential in the pursuit of a convenient and generalizable sensing platform to improve oral health.