(236f) Interleukin 6 (IL-6) Targeted Corona Phase Molecular Recognition Using Fluorescent Nanosensors

Molecular recognition sites that specifically binds with a target molecule are essential for clinical research, disease diagnosis, and therapeutic development. Corona Phase Molecular Recognition (CoPhMoRe) is an emerging technique that uses amphiphilic polymer adsorbed onto a nanoparticle surface to generate a synthetic recognition site. To date, CoPhMoRe has demonstrated its versatility by successfully detecting molecules including nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, vitamins, neurotransmitters, carbohydrates, proteins, steroid, and small molecule pharmaceutical drugs using polymer wrapped single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). However, this method has not yet been widely extended to macromolecular analytes. Herein, we interface near-infrared fluorescent SWNTs with a panel of amphiphilic polymers varying in monomer composition and length, and use them against a library of inflammatory biomolecules, revealing a specific corona phase that recognizes interleukin 6 (IL-6) with high selectivity. The IL-6 recognition shows dose-dependent responses, and exhibited excellent stability with response from 10 ng/mL to 100 µg/mL. Two-stage binding of IL-6 with the SWNT corona is suggested by sensor dynamic studies. The IL-6 sensor is also deposited onto intravascular catheter and displays functionality in biological environment. These results open new pathways for synthetic molecular recognition that detects biological macromolecules, and hold great promise for medical and clinical applications.