Personalized healthcare can tailor the ratio of nutrients, metabolites and drugs according to the unique needs of individuals. The realization of this process is inseparable from the continuous monitoring of certain biomarkers. Recently, the California Institute of Technology announced on its official website that its research team has successfully developed a new "nano-ink" printing technology that can mass-produce durable wearable sweat sensors. These sensors have the function of real-time tracking of multiple biomarkers such as vitamins, hormones, metabolites and drugs, allowing patients and doctors to continuously observe the dynamic changes at the molecular level.
The nanoparticles generated by this printing technology are named core-shell cubic nanoparticles. Their operating mechanism relies on the recognition ability of the molecularly imprinted polymer shell to specific molecules (such as vitamin C). Once the target molecules exist, they will contact the polymer shell and penetrate into the internal pores, causing the electrical signal to weaken. By monitoring this signal change, the content of the target molecule can be accurately determined. In addition, the team also introduced nickel hexacyanoferrate as a core material to enhance the stability of the sensor in biological fluids and ensure the accuracy of long-term measurements.
It is worth noting that this technology is not limited to the detection of a single biomarker, but can also build sensor arrays by using different types of nanoparticle "ink" to achieve simultaneous measurement of multiple amino acids, metabolites, hormones or drug levels. In the study, the team has successfully printed sensors for vitamin C, tryptophan and creatinine, and has been applied in actual cases.
The advent of this technology provides new possibilities for the realization of personalized drug dosage, especially in the field of cancer treatment. It can remotely monitor the dosage of anti-cancer drugs in the body in real time, opening up new avenues for disease treatment. In addition, the study also explored the feasibility of implanting nanoparticle sensors subcutaneously to accurately monitor drug levels in the body. This breakthrough marks a key step towards more precise and efficient personalized medicine.
This paper is from Ulink Media, Shenzhen, China, the organizer of IOTE EXPO (IoT Expo in China)
