Advances in Biosensors for Health-Care and Diagnostics

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensor and Bioelectronic Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 15682

Special Issue Editor

Department of Biotechnology, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India
Interests: immunosensors; nanoparticles; biofabrication

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biosensors have changed our world in incalculable ways. Various micro- and nano-scale sensors have been developed, demonstrating potential for unprecedented growth in their deployment in next-generation healthcare diagnostics, environmental monitoring, energy and embedded wireless systems, as well as robotics and space applications. With much lower usage of reagents required for calibration, they have fast response time and ability to measure non-polar molecules that cannot be estimated by other conventional devices. Additionally, the biosensor material must be biocompatible and resistant to a wide range of biochemical parameters such as pH, temperature, and other environmental conditions, and so may not require specific storage conditions. The advantages of biosensors are emphasized with respect to the advances in nanomaterials and nano- and microfabrication techniques within the design and optimization process. This Special Issue cordially invites researchers to contribute original and innovative research outcomes on engineering and theory associated with the design, modeling, fabrication, and application of biosensors being used pervasively in the medical health care field to diagnose infectious diseases, particularly for future clinical applications.

Prof. Dr. Shanthy Sundaram
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biosensors
  • bioreceptors
  • healthcare
  • bioanalysis
  • continuous monitoring
  • nanomaterials
  • nanofabrication
  • diagnostics
  • biosensing
  • point-of-care diagnostics
  • nanomaterials
  • nanofabrication
  • wearable

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4997 KiB  
Article
A Pilot Study Examining the Dielectric Response of Human Forearm Tissues
by Yang Yu, Anubha Manju Kalra, Gautam Anand and Andrew Lowe
Biosensors 2023, 13(11), 961; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13110961 - 29 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1026
Abstract
This work aims to describe the dielectric behaviors of four main tissues in the human forearm using mathematical modelling, including fat, muscle, blood and bone. Multi-frequency bioimpedance analysis (MF-BIA) was initially performed using the finite element method (FEM) with a 3D forearm model [...] Read more.
This work aims to describe the dielectric behaviors of four main tissues in the human forearm using mathematical modelling, including fat, muscle, blood and bone. Multi-frequency bioimpedance analysis (MF-BIA) was initially performed using the finite element method (FEM) with a 3D forearm model to estimate impedance spectra from 10 kHz to 1 MHz, followed by a pilot study involving two healthy subjects to characterize the response of actual forearm tissues from 1 kHz to 349 kHz. Both the simulation and experimental results were fitted to a single-dispersion Cole model (SDCM) and a multi-dispersion Cole model (MDCM) to determine the Cole parameters for each tissue. Cole-type responses of both simulated and actual human forearms were observed. A paired t-test based on the root mean squared error (RMSE) values indicated that both Cole models performed comparably in fitting both simulated and measured bioimpedance data. However, MDCM exhibited higher accuracy, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.99 and 0.89, RMSE of 0.22 Ω and 0.56 Ω, mean difference (mean ± standard deviation) of 0.00 ± 0.23 Ω and −0.28 ± 0.23 Ω, and mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.0007 Ω and 0.2789 Ω for the real part and imaginary part of impedance, respectively. Determining the electrical response of multi-tissues can be helpful in developing physiological monitoring of an organ or a section of the human body through MF-BIA and hemodynamic monitoring by filtering out the impedance contributions from the surrounding tissues to blood-flow-induced impedance variations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biosensors for Health-Care and Diagnostics)
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15 pages, 3158 KiB  
Article
Development and Evaluation of a Low-Cost Triglyceride Quantification Enzymatic Biosensor Using an Arduino-Based Microfluidic System
by Jorge E. Pliego-Sandoval, Arturo Díaz-Barbosa, Luis A. Reyes-Nava, María Angeles Camacho-Ruiz, Laura Elena Iñiguez-Muñoz and Osmar Pinto-Pérez
Biosensors 2023, 13(8), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13080826 - 17 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1387
Abstract
Overweight and obesity promote diabetes and heart disease onset. Triglycerides are key biomarkers for cardiovascular disease, strokes, and other health issues. Scientists have devised methods and instruments for the detection of these molecules in liquid samples. In this study, an enzymatic biosensor was [...] Read more.
Overweight and obesity promote diabetes and heart disease onset. Triglycerides are key biomarkers for cardiovascular disease, strokes, and other health issues. Scientists have devised methods and instruments for the detection of these molecules in liquid samples. In this study, an enzymatic biosensor was developed using an Arduino-based microfluidic platform, wherein a lipolytic enzyme was immobilized on an ethylene-vinyl acetate polymer through physical adsorption. This low-cost optical biosensor employed a spectrophotometric transducer and was assessed in liquid samples to indirectly detect triglycerides and fatty acids using p-nitrophenol as an indicator. The average triglyceride level detected in the conducted experiments was 47.727 mg/dL. The biosensor exhibited a percentage of recovery of 81.12% and a variation coefficient of 0.791%. Furthermore, the biosensor demonstrated the ability to detect triglyceride levels without the need for sample dilution, ranging from 7.6741 mg/dL to 58.835 mg/dL. This study successfully developed an efficient and affordable enzymatic biosensor prototype for triglyceride and fatty acid detection. The lipolytic enzyme immobilization on the polymer substrate provided a stable and reproducible detection system, rendering this biosensor an exciting option for the detection of these molecules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biosensors for Health-Care and Diagnostics)
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13 pages, 2326 KiB  
Article
Computation of Vascular Parameters: Implementing Methodology and Performance Analysis
by Mohamed Yacin Sikkandar, Sridharan Padmanabhan, Bobby Mohan, Ibrahim AlMohimeed, Ahmad Alassaf, Shady A. Alshewaier, Ali Abdullah Almukil and Sabarunisha Begum
Biosensors 2023, 13(8), 757; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13080757 - 25 Jul 2023
Viewed by 887
Abstract
This paper presents the feasibility of automated and accurate in vivo measurements of vascular parameters using an ultrasound sensor. The continuous and non-invasive monitoring of certain parameters, such as pulse wave velocity (PWV), blood pressure (BP), arterial compliance (AC), and stiffness index (SI), [...] Read more.
This paper presents the feasibility of automated and accurate in vivo measurements of vascular parameters using an ultrasound sensor. The continuous and non-invasive monitoring of certain parameters, such as pulse wave velocity (PWV), blood pressure (BP), arterial compliance (AC), and stiffness index (SI), is crucial for assessing cardiovascular disorders during surgeries and follow-up procedures. Traditional methods, including cuff-based or invasive catheter techniques, serve as the gold standard for measuring BP, which is then manually used to calculate AC and SI through imaging algorithms. In this context, the Continuous and Non-Invasive Vascular Stiffness and Arterial Compliance Screener (CaNVAS) is developed to provide continuous and non-invasive measurements of these parameters using an ultrasound sensor. By driving 5 MHz (ranging from 2.2 to 10 MHz) acoustic waves through the arterial walls, capturing the reflected echoes, and employing pre-processing techniques, the frequency shift is utilized to calculate PWV. It is observed that PWV measured by CaNVAS correlates exponentially with BP values obtained from the sphygmomanometer (BPMR-120), enabling the computation of instantaneous BP values. The proposed device is validated through measurements conducted on 250 subjects under pre- and post-exercise conditions, demonstrating an accuracy of 95% and an average coefficient of variation of 12.5%. This validates the reliability and precision of CaNVAS in assessing vascular parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biosensors for Health-Care and Diagnostics)
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13 pages, 3444 KiB  
Article
Organic Electrochemical Transistor Immuno-Sensors for Spike Protein Early Detection
by Mario Barra, Giovanna Tomaiuolo, Valeria Rachela Villella, Speranza Esposito, Aris Liboà, Pasquale D’Angelo, Simone Luigi Marasso, Matteo Cocuzza, Valentina Bertana, Elena Camilli and Valentina Preziosi
Biosensors 2023, 13(7), 739; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13070739 - 17 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1546
Abstract
The global COVID-19 pandemic has had severe consequences from the social and economic perspectives, compelling the scientific community to focus on the development of effective diagnostics that can combine a fast response and accurate sensitivity/specificity performance. Presently available commercial antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests [...] Read more.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has had severe consequences from the social and economic perspectives, compelling the scientific community to focus on the development of effective diagnostics that can combine a fast response and accurate sensitivity/specificity performance. Presently available commercial antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) are very fast, but still face significant criticisms, mainly related to their inability to amplify the protein signal. This translates to a limited sensitive outcome and, hence, a reduced ability to hamper the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection. To answer the urgent need for novel platforms for the early, specific and highly sensitive detection of the virus, this paper deals with the use of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) as very efficient ion–electron converters and amplifiers for the detection of spike proteins and their femtomolar concentration. The electrical response of the investigated OECTs was carefully analyzed, and the changes in the parameters associated with the transconductance (i.e., the slope of the transfer curves) in the gate voltage range between 0 and 0.3 V were found to be more clearly correlated with the spike protein concentration. Moreover, the functionalization of OECT-based biosensors with anti-spike and anti-nucleocapside proteins, the major proteins involved in the disease, demonstrated the specificity of these devices, whose potentialities should also be considered in light of the recent upsurge of the so-called “long COVID” syndrome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biosensors for Health-Care and Diagnostics)
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12 pages, 3940 KiB  
Communication
Oxidative Stress Sensing System for 8-OHdG Detection Based on Plasma Coupled Electrochemistry by Transparent ITO/AuNTAs/PtNPs Electrode
by Yongchang Bai and Shuang Li
Biosensors 2023, 13(6), 643; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13060643 - 12 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1276
Abstract
8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is the most widely used oxidative stress biomarker of the free radical-induced oxidative damage product of DNA, which may allow a premature assessment of various diseases. This paper designs a label-free, portable biosensor device to directly detect 8-OHdG by plasma-coupled electrochemistry [...] Read more.
8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is the most widely used oxidative stress biomarker of the free radical-induced oxidative damage product of DNA, which may allow a premature assessment of various diseases. This paper designs a label-free, portable biosensor device to directly detect 8-OHdG by plasma-coupled electrochemistry on a transparent and conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. We reported a flexible printed ITO electrode made from particle-free silver and carbon inks. After inkjet printing, the working electrode was sequentially assembled by gold nanotriangles (AuNTAs) and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs). This nanomaterial-modified portable biosensor showed excellent electrochemical performance for 8-OHdG detection from 10 μg/mL to 100 μg/mL by our self-developed constant voltage source integrated circuit system. This work demonstrated a portable biosensor for simultaneously integrating nanostructure, electroconductivity, and biocompatibility to construct advanced biosensors for oxidative damage biomarkers. The proposed nanomaterial-modified ITO-based electrochemical portable device was a potential biosensor to approach 8-OHdG point-of-care testing (POCT) in various biological fluid samples, such as saliva and urine samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biosensors for Health-Care and Diagnostics)
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Review

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28 pages, 7231 KiB  
Review
Molybdenum Disulfide as Tunable Electrochemical and Optical Biosensing Platforms for Cancer Biomarker Detection: A Review
by Ziyue Qin, Jiawei Zhang and Shuang Li
Biosensors 2023, 13(9), 848; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13090848 - 25 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1097
Abstract
Cancer is a common illness with a high mortality. Compared with traditional technologies, biomarker detection, with its low cost and simple operation, has a higher sensitivity and faster speed in the early screening and prognosis of cancer. Therefore, extensive research has focused on [...] Read more.
Cancer is a common illness with a high mortality. Compared with traditional technologies, biomarker detection, with its low cost and simple operation, has a higher sensitivity and faster speed in the early screening and prognosis of cancer. Therefore, extensive research has focused on the development of biosensors and the construction of sensing interfaces. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a promising two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial, whose unique adjustable bandgap shows excellent electronic and optical properties in the construction of biosensor interfaces. It not only has the advantages of a high catalytic activity and low manufacturing costs, but it can also further expand the application of hybrid structures through different functionalization, and it is widely used in various biosensors fields. Herein, we provide a detailed introduction to the structure and synthesis methods of MoS2, and explore the unique properties and advantages/disadvantages exhibited by different structures. Specifically, we focus on the excellent properties and application performance of MoS2 and its composite structures, and discuss the widespread application of MoS2 in cancer biomarkers detection from both electrochemical and optical dimensions. Additionally, with the cross development of emerging technologies, we have also expanded the application of other emerging sensors based on MoS2 for early cancer diagnosis. Finally, we summarized the challenges and prospects of MoS2 in the synthesis, functionalization of composite groups, and applications, and provided some insights into the potential applications of these emerging nanomaterials in a wider range of fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biosensors for Health-Care and Diagnostics)
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14 pages, 587 KiB  
Review
Wearable Insulin Biosensors for Diabetes Management: Advances and Challenges
by Sotiria D. Psoma and Chryso Kanthou
Biosensors 2023, 13(7), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13070719 - 07 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3509
Abstract
We present a critical review of the current progress in wearable insulin biosensors. For over 40 years, glucose biosensors have been used for diabetes management. Measurement of blood glucose is an indirect method for calculating the insulin administration dosage, which is critical for [...] Read more.
We present a critical review of the current progress in wearable insulin biosensors. For over 40 years, glucose biosensors have been used for diabetes management. Measurement of blood glucose is an indirect method for calculating the insulin administration dosage, which is critical for insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Research and development efforts aiming towards continuous-insulin-monitoring biosensors in combination with existing glucose biosensors are expected to offer a more accurate estimation of insulin sensitivity, regulate insulin dosage and facilitate progress towards development of a reliable artificial pancreas, as an ultimate goal in diabetes management and personalised medicine. Conventional laboratory analytical techniques for insulin detection are expensive and time-consuming and lack a real-time monitoring capability. On the other hand, biosensors offer point-of-care testing, continuous monitoring, miniaturisation, high specificity and sensitivity, rapid response time, ease of use and low costs. Current research, future developments and challenges in insulin biosensor technology are reviewed and assessed. Different insulin biosensor categories such as aptamer-based, molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based, label-free and other types are presented among the latest developments in the field. This multidisciplinary field requires engagement between scientists, engineers, clinicians and industry for addressing the challenges for a commercial, reliable, real-time-monitoring wearable insulin biosensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biosensors for Health-Care and Diagnostics)
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17 pages, 1256 KiB  
Review
Cortisol Immunosensors: A Literature Review
by Chrysoula-Evangelia Karachaliou, Georgios Koukouvinos, Dimitrios Goustouridis, Ioannis Raptis, Sotirios Kakabakos, Panagiota Petrou and Evangelia Livaniou
Biosensors 2023, 13(2), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13020285 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3384
Abstract
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is involved in a broad range of physiological processes in human/animal organisms. Cortisol levels in biological samples are a valuable biomarker, e.g., of stress and stress-related diseases; thus, cortisol determination in biological fluids, such as serum, saliva [...] Read more.
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is involved in a broad range of physiological processes in human/animal organisms. Cortisol levels in biological samples are a valuable biomarker, e.g., of stress and stress-related diseases; thus, cortisol determination in biological fluids, such as serum, saliva and urine, is of great clinical value. Although cortisol analysis can be performed with chromatography-based analytical techniques, such as liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), conventional immunoassays (radioimmunoassays (RIAs), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), etc.) are considered the “gold standard” analytical methodology for cortisol, due to their high sensitivity along with a series of practical advantages, such as low-cost instrumentation, an assay protocol that is fast and easy to perform, and high sample throughput. Especially in recent decades, research efforts have focused on the replacement of conventional immunoassays by cortisol immunosensors, which may offer further improvements in the field, such as real-time analysis at the point of care (e.g., continuous cortisol monitoring in sweat through wearable electrochemical sensors). In this review, most of the reported cortisol immunosensors, mainly electrochemical and also optical ones, are presented, focusing on their immunosensing/detection principles. Future prospects are also briefly discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biosensors for Health-Care and Diagnostics)
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