Rational design of a FA1-targeting anti-interference fluorescent probe for the point-of-care testing of albuminuria

Abstract

Albuminuria is a crucial urine biomarker of human unhealthy events such as kidney diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. However, the accurate diagnosis of albuminuria poses a significant challenge owing to the severe interference from urine fluorescence and urine drugs. Here, we report a novel flavone-based fluorescent probe, DMC, by incorporating the FA1-targeting methylquinazoline group into a flavone skeleton with the extend π-conjugation. DMC exhibited a rapid response time, high sensitivity, and selectivity towards human serum albumin (HSA) in urine. Moreover, the red-shifted fluorescence and the FA1-targeted HSA-binding of DMC efficiently mitigated the interference from both urine fluorescence and urine drug metabolites. Furthermore, the establishment of a portable testing system highlighted the potential for point-of-care testing, offering a user-friendly and accurate approach to diagnose A2-level and A3-level albuminuria. We expect that the success of this DMC-based diagnostic platform in real urine samples can signify a significant advancement in early clinical diagnosis of albuminuria and its associated diseases.

Keywords: Albuminuria; Anti-interference; FA1 site; Fluorescent probe; POCT.