EAGER: Multiplexed Wound Biomarker Detection with a Nanosensor Embedded Microfibrous Biomaterial

慢性伤口合并感染影响了大约2%的美国人口，主要是老年人、卧床不起者和糖尿病患者，并给患者和更广泛的医疗保健系统带来了严重的身体和经济压力。除了确定致病性感染的类型和严重程度外，还迫切需要新的策略，使伤口的即时监测能够诊断伤口的进展程度或愈合程度。该奖项将资助一项研究项目，该项目将创造一种新型光学活性绷带，该绷带带有集成的纳米传感器，可以同时检测伤口的几种指标（生物标志物）。绷带传感系统本质上是无线的，不需要电源或敏感的电子设备。这项研究将产生新的知识，因为纳米传感器和生物标志物之间的相互作用将被探索，除了纺织合成过程的参数。由此产生的纺织品光信号的变化将与生物标志物浓度相关。这项研究将被纳入PI在当地一所高中开展的现有“纳米生物”推广计划中。最后，该平台技术可以进行修改，以开发其他重要应用的可穿戴传感器，例如传感汗液中的疾病生物标志物。这个EAGER项目的目标是创建、优化和探索智能伤口敷料平台的体外功能，用于实时和多路监测伤口感染的生物标志物。众所周知，致病菌生物膜的存在可以显著延长愈合过程；然而，这种感染的原位检测和后续治疗往往是困难的。因此，迫切需要一种即时伤口监测平台，通过实时和就地检测感染（即无需拆除绷带），帮助减少与长期住院和实验室检测相关的负担。基于PI实验室获得的有希望的初步数据，提出了一种新的微纤维平台，用于慢性和感染相关伤口生物标志物的多重检测。结合分析物检测和信号转导元件是一组荧光碳纳米管传感器，具有工程选择性和对慢性伤口生物标志物的敏感性，包括过氧化氢，白细胞介素-6细胞因子和pyocyanin毒素。嵌入生物相容性纱布状微纤维平台，通过手持近红外光谱仪设备无线（光学）完成伤口生物标志物的原位检测。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Chronic wounds with associated infections affect approximately 2% of the United States population, primarily in the elderly, bedridden, and patients with diabetes, and place severe physical and financial strain on those affected and the broader healthcare system. There remains an urgent need for novel strategies that enable the point-of-care monitoring of wounds to diagnose the degree of progression or healing of the wound in addition to identifying the type and severity of pathogenic infections. This EAGER award will fund a research program that will create a new optically active bandage with integrated nanosensors that detect several indicators (biomarkers) of wounds simultaneously. The bandage sensing system is inherently wireless and does not require a power source or sensitive electronics to be worn. This research will generate new knowledge, as the interactions between the nanosensors and the biomarkers will be explored in addition to the parameters of the textile synthesis process. The resulting changes in the optical signals from the textile will be correlated to biomarker concentrations. This research will be incorporated into an existing “nano-bio” outreach program that the PI runs at a local high school. Finally, this platform technology can be modified to develop wearable sensors for other important applications, e.g. sensing disease biomarkers in the sweat.The goal of this EAGER project is to create, optimize and explore the in vitro functionality of a smart wound dressing platform for the real-time and multiplexed monitoring of wound biomarkers of infection. It is known that the presence of pathogenic bacterial biofilms can significantly prolong the healing process; however, the in situ detection and subsequent treatment of such infections is often difficult. Thus, there is an urgent need for a point-of-care wound monitoring platform that could help to decrease the liabilities associated with prolonged hospitalizations and lab testing by detecting infections in real-time and in an in situ fashion, i.e. without the need to remove the bandage. Based upon promising preliminary data obtained in the PI’s laboratory, a novel microfibrous platform is proposed for the multiplexed detection of relevant wound biomarkers of chronicity and infection. The combined analyte detection and signal transduction element is an array of fluorescent carbon nanotube sensors with engineered selectivity and sensitivity to biomarkers of chronic wounds including hydrogen peroxide, interleukin-6 cytokine, and pyocyanin toxin. Embedded within a biocompatible gauze-like microfibrous platform, in situ detection of the wound biomarkers is accomplished wirelessly (optically) with a hand-held near-infrared spectrometer device.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.