(150b) Corona Phase Molecular Recognition of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) Using Near-Infrared Single Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWNT)

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a critical cytokine that regulates inflammation and plays an important role in numerous biochemical pathways. Currently, ELISA and western blots are the two primary IL-6 detection techniques. However, they require substantial cost, time, and could not offer timely analysis results. IL-6 biosensors capable of real-time, continuous measurements in in vivo environments, such as blood, interstitial fluid, or sweat, would greatly facilitate characterization of an organism’s current inflammatory state, enabling new modalities of diagnosis and treatment of disease otherwise inaccessible. In this work, we generated synthetic recognition sites at the surface of a nanoparticle corona using Corona Phase Molecular Recognition (CoPhMoRe) for IL-6 detection. A library of 41 amphiphilic polymers varying in monomer composition and length were synthesized and interfaced with near-infrared fluorescent single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) to create a sensor library. Two promising SWNT-polymer constructs have been discovered that show selective recognition of IL-6 among an analyte library of 19 biomolecules chosen for the members’ structural diversity and in vivo relevance. Both sensors showed dose-dependent responses, and exhibited excellent stability with response from 10 ng/mL to 100 µg/mL. The IL-6 sensor is also deposited onto intravascular catheter and displays functionality in biological environment. The preliminary results demonstrate that synthetic molecular recognition strategies could enable a new class of continuous, in vivo monitoring of IL-6.