Many medications suffer from a narrow therapeutic window � that is, an ineffective dose and a toxic dose are very close to each other. The ability to monitor specific drugs and metabolites continuously and in real-time directly in a patient's blood could thus significantly improve patient outcomes by, for example, providing a means of personalizing dosing for each patient's metabolism.In support of this goal we are developing a technology for the real-time, continuous measurement of small molecules directly in whole, undiluted blood. Our approach employs electrochemical aptamer-based sensors, which couple the selectivity and ease of electrochemical detection with the specificity and versatility of aptamers. These sensors already support quantitative, real-time detection in undiluted blood serum, placing them among the most selective real-time biosensors reported to date. Continuous exposure to whole blood, however, produces a significant baseline drift of the signaling current. By exploiting the kinetic sensitivity of electrochemical measurement, my work enables self-correcting sensor response. This allows sensor molecules to retain sensitivity and specificity in undiluted whole blood. This research opens the door for these sensors to continuously measure in vivo levels of therapeutic drugs, enabling safer dosing of drugs with narrow therapeutic windows and truly personalized medicine.

Electrochemical aptamer-based sensors for the continuous, real-time measurement of small molecule drugs directly in whole blood

248th National Meeting (2014)

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