Simple, ultrasensitive detection of superoxide anion radical mutations in melanoma mice with SERS microneedles

Miao He; Lili Jin; Feng Wang; Xin Wang; Yanli You; Hongyan He

doi:10.1016/j.saa.2024.124292

Simple, ultrasensitive detection of superoxide anion radical mutations in melanoma mice with SERS microneedles

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2024 Apr 13:316:124292. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.124292. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Miao He¹, Lili Jin¹, Feng Wang², Xin Wang³, Yanli You³, Hongyan He⁴

Affiliations

¹ Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
² The Education Ministry Key Lab of Resource Chemistry, Joint International Research Laboratory of Resource Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Functional Materials, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Biomimetic Catalysis, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China.
³ Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
⁴ Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China. Electronic address: hyhe@ecust.edu.cn.

PMID: 38669980
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.124292

Abstract

Elevated levels of superoxide anion radicals (O₂^·-) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, such as cancer, inflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases. To determine the O₂^·- concentration for assisting disease detection, a method based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) combined with transparent polymer microneedles has been developed. Photocrosslinked NOA61 is used to prepare microneedles with sulfhydryl group, which can contribute to anchor gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) functionalized by p-mercaptobenzoic acid (PATP). This work successfully constructed SERS microneedles for in situ detection. A REDOX reaction occurred between PATP and O₂^·-, resulting in the formation of dimethylaminoborane (DMAB) and a subsequent change in Raman signal. Based on the quantitative relationship between the change of peak area ratio at 1042 cm^-1 and 1077 cm^-1 and the concentration change of O₂^·-, a standard curve with a linear range of 0-480 ng/mL was constructed. The SERS microneedles were effectively employed to track melanoma progression in mice, establishing a fundamental correlation between O2·- concentration and melanoma stage, as confirmed by ELISA. The benefits of this approach, including convenience, in situ applicability, and low cost, are anticipated to offer novel insights for non-invasive in situ detection, potentially enhancing disease monitoring and diagnosis.

Keywords: Melanoma; Microneedle; O(2)(·−) detection; SERS.