Active-reset protein sensors enable continuous in vivo monitoring of inflammation
Hossein Zargartalebi, Sako Mirzaie, Amin GhavamiNejad, Sharif Ahmed, Fariba Esmaeili, Armin Geraili, Connor D. Flynn, Dingran Chang, Jagotamoy Das, Abdalla M. Abdrabou, Edward H. Sargent, Shana O. Kelley
Abstract
Continuous measurement of proteins in vivo is important for real-time disease management and prevention. Implantable sensors for monitoring small molecules such as glucose have been available for more than a decade. However, analysis of proteins remains an unmet need because the lower physiological levels require that sensors have high affinities, which are linked to long complexation half-lives ( t 1/2 ~20 hours) and slow equilibration when concentrations decrease. We report active-reset sensors by use of high-frequency oscillations to accelerate dissociation, which enables regeneration of the unbound form of the sensor within 1 minute. When implemented within implanted devices, these sensors allow for real-time, in vivo monitoring of proteins within interstitial fluid. Active-reset protein sensors track biomarker levels on a physiological timescale for inflammation monitoring in living animals.