(262a) Fluorescent Nanosensors for Glucose Detection In Vivo

Recent years have shown the incredible versatility and utility of polymeric nanosensors. Sensors have been developed for a wide variety of ionic analytes (e.g. sodium, potassium, pH) and have been applied for challenging research fields such as detection of sodium sparks in live cardiomyocytes. This field of research has yielded new knowledge on cellular metabolism and function. Additionally, these sensors can be applied in vivo, through implantation in or under the skin in animals; showing potential as a research tool for continuous monitoring of analyte concentrations without the need for direct samples to be taken from the animal.

In addition to ionic analytes, recent developments have enabled these polymeric nanosensors to be applied for the detection of nonionic analytes such as glucose through the use of boronic acid derivatives which bind to glucose. I will discuss the development of these sensors, including macroscale and nanoscale response; the optimization of components included in the sensors; and the design of the ratio of components to enable detection of glucose in the physiological range. Additionally, I will demonstrate the application of these nanosensors for the continuous tracking of blood glucose levels in vivo.

This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01 GM084366) and Internal Research and Development funding from The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory.