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Feature Issue of Biosensors and Healthcare Section
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Special Issue "Feature Issue of Biosensors and Healthcare Section"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2023 | Viewed by 5430

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Waseem Asghar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Computer Engineering & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Biological Sciences (Courtesy Appointment), Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
Interests: disease diagnostics; microfluidics; cell sorting; biosensors; point-of-care testing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The integration of technology and medicine at nano- and micro-scale offers tremendous opportunities for solving important problems in biomedical engineering and enables a wide range of applications in disease diagnostics. Conventional disease testing platforms and assays are mostly lab-based, costly, and require trained technicians; hence, these platforms are not suitable for point-of-care (POC) and self-testing formats.  There has been significant growth and development in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and innovative biosensors and POC assays have been developed. This Special Issue provides a platform to feature novel developments on disease diagnostic platforms and assays for POC and self-testing formats. 

Dr. Waseem Asghar
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 2200 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

  • microfluidics
  • self-testing
  • point-of-care (POC) testing
  • portable biosensors
  • disease diagnostics

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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Communication
Electrochemical Impedance Immunoassay for ALS-Associated Neurofilament Protein: Matrix Effect on the Immunoplatform
by
Omair Adil
and
Mohtashim H. Shamsi
Biosensors 2023, 13(2), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13020247 - 09 Feb 2023
Viewed by 802
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder, which has complex diagnostic steps. Electrochemical immunoassays may make the diagnosis simpler and faster. Here, we present the detection of ALS-associated neurofilament light chain (Nf-L) protein through an electrochemical impedance immunoassay on reduced graphene oxide [...] Read more.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder, which has complex diagnostic steps. Electrochemical immunoassays may make the diagnosis simpler and faster. Here, we present the detection of ALS-associated neurofilament light chain (Nf-L) protein through an electrochemical impedance immunoassay on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) screen-printed electrodes. The immunoassay was developed in two different media, i.e., buffer and human serum, to compare the effect of the media on their figures of merit and calibration models. The label-free charge transfer resistance (RCT) of the immunoplatform was used as a signal response to develop the calibration models. We found that exposure of the biorecognition layer to human serum improved the impedance response of the biorecognition element with significantly lower relative error. Moreover, the calibration model obtained in the human serum environment has higher sensitivity and a better limit of detection (0.087 ng/mL) than the buffer medium (0.39 ng/mL). The analyses of the ALS patient samples show that concentrations obtained from the buffer-based regression model was higher than the serum-based model. However, a high Pearson correlation (r = 1.00) between the media suggests that concentration in one medium may be useful to predict the concentration in the other medium. Moreover, the Nf-L concentration appears to increase with age in both male and female groups, while overall higher Nf-L was found in the male group than the female group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Issue of Biosensors and Healthcare Section)
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Article
Point-of-Care Portable 3D-Printed Multispectral Sensor for Real-Time Enzyme Activity Monitoring in Healthcare Applications
by
Antony Jesuraj
and
Umer Hassan
Biosensors 2023, 13(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13010120 - 10 Jan 2023
Viewed by 850
Abstract
Absorbance spectroscopy finds many biomedical and physical applications ranging from studying the atomic and molecular details of the analyte to determination of unknown biological species and their concentration or activity in the samples. Commercially available laboratory-based spectrometers are usually bulky and require high [...] Read more.
Absorbance spectroscopy finds many biomedical and physical applications ranging from studying the atomic and molecular details of the analyte to determination of unknown biological species and their concentration or activity in the samples. Commercially available laboratory-based spectrometers are usually bulky and require high power and laborious manual processing, making them unsuitable to be deployed in portable and space-constrained environments, thereby further limiting their utility for real-time on-site monitoring. To address these challenges, here we developed a portable 3D-printed multispectral spectrophotometer based on absorbance spectroscopy for real-time monitoring of enzyme molecular activity. Monitoring enzyme (such as tyrosinase) activity is critical, as it quantifies its reaction rate, which is dependent on many factors such as the enzyme and substrate concentrations, temperature, pH, and other regulators such as inhibitors and effectors. Tyrosinase is a critical enzyme responsible for melanin synthesis in living beings and exhibits enzymatic browning in fruits and vegetables. It finds various commercial applications in the fields of healthcare (skin pigmentation, wound healing, etc.), forensics, and food processing. Here, tyrosinase activity was monitored using a 3D-printed spectral sensor at different rates and compared against measurements obtained from laboratory instruments. The enzyme activity was also studied using kojic acid (i.e., a commonly employed commercial tyrosinase inhibitor) while varying its molar and volume concentrations to control the reaction rate at discrete activity levels. For tyrosinase activity monitoring, the fabricated device has shown significant correlation (R2 = 0.9999) compared to measurements from the standard table-top spectrophotometer. We also provide a performance comparison between the 3D-printed and the laboratory spectrophotometer instruments by studying tyrosinase enzyme activity with and without the influence of an inhibitor. Such a device can be translated into various absorbance spectroscopy-based point-of-care biomedical and healthcare applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Issue of Biosensors and Healthcare Section)
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Article
An Exosomal miRNA Biomarker for the Detection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
by
Amy Makler
,
Ramaswamy Narayanan
and
Waseem Asghar
Biosensors 2022, 12(10), 831; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12100831 - 06 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1274
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a difficult tumor to diagnose and treat. To date, PDAC lacks routine screening with no markers available for early detection. Exosomes are 40–150 nm-sized extracellular vesicles that contain DNA, RNA, and proteins. These exosomes are released by all [...] Read more.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a difficult tumor to diagnose and treat. To date, PDAC lacks routine screening with no markers available for early detection. Exosomes are 40–150 nm-sized extracellular vesicles that contain DNA, RNA, and proteins. These exosomes are released by all cell types into circulation and thus can be harvested from patient body fluids, thereby facilitating a non-invasive method for PDAC detection. A bioinformatics analysis was conducted utilizing publicly available miRNA pancreatic cancer expression and genome databases. Through this analysis, we identified 18 miRNA with strong potential for PDAC detection. From this analysis, 10 (MIR31, MIR93, MIR133A1, MIR210, MIR330, MIR339, MIR425, MIR429, MIR1208, and MIR3620) were chosen due to high copy number variation as well as their potential to differentiate patients with chronic pancreatitis, neoplasms, and PDAC. These 10 were examined for their mature miRNA expression patterns, giving rise to 18 mature miRs for further analysis. Exosomal RNA from cell culture media was analyzed via RTqPCR and seven mature miRs exhibited statistical significance (miR-31-5p, miR-31-3p, miR-210-3p, miR-339-5p, miR-425-5p, miR-425-3p, and miR-429). These identified biomarkers can potentially be used for early detection of PDAC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Issue of Biosensors and Healthcare Section)
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Review

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Review
Aptamer-Based Point-of-Care Devices: Emerging Technologies and Integration of Computational Methods
by
Yusuf Aslan
,
Maryam Atabay
,
Hussain Kawsar Chowdhury
,
Ilgım Göktürk
,
Yeşeren Saylan
and
Fatih Inci
Biosensors 2023, 13(5), 569; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13050569 - 22 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 539
Abstract
Recent innovations in point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies have paved a critical road for the improved application of biomedicine through the deployment of accurate and affordable programs into resource-scarce settings. The utilization of antibodies as a bio-recognition element in POC devices is currently limited [...] Read more.
Recent innovations in point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies have paved a critical road for the improved application of biomedicine through the deployment of accurate and affordable programs into resource-scarce settings. The utilization of antibodies as a bio-recognition element in POC devices is currently limited due to obstacles associated with cost and production, impeding its widespread adoption. One promising alternative, on the other hand, is aptamer integration, i.e., short sequences of single-stranded DNA and RNA structures. The advantageous properties of these molecules are as follows: small molecular size, amenability to chemical modification, low- or nonimmunogenic characteristics, and their reproducibility within a short generation time. The utilization of these aforementioned features is critical in developing sensitive and portable POC systems. Furthermore, the deficiencies related to past experimental efforts to improve biosensor schematics, including the design of biorecognition elements, can be tackled with the integration of computational tools. These complementary tools enable the prediction of the reliability and functionality of the molecular structure of aptamers. In this review, we have overviewed the usage of aptamers in the development of novel and portable POC devices, in addition to highlighting the insights that simulations and other computational methods can provide into the use of aptamer modeling for POC integration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Issue of Biosensors and Healthcare Section)
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Review
Microfluidic Devices for HIV Diagnosis and Monitoring at Point-of-Care (POC) Settings
by
Shebin Tharakan
,
Omair Faqah
,
Waseem Asghar
and
Azhar Ilyas
Biosensors 2022, 12(11), 949; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12110949 - 01 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1455
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a global epidemic; however, many individuals are able to obtain treatment and manage their condition. Progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) occurs during late-stage HIV infection, which compromises the immune system, making it susceptible to infections. While there [...] Read more.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a global epidemic; however, many individuals are able to obtain treatment and manage their condition. Progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) occurs during late-stage HIV infection, which compromises the immune system, making it susceptible to infections. While there is no cure, antiretroviral therapy can be used provided that detection occurs, preferably during the early phase. However, the detection of HIV is expensive and resource-intensive when tested with conventional methods, such as flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Improving disease detection in resource-constrained areas requires equipment that is affordable, portable, and can deliver rapid results. Microfluidic devices have transformed many benchtop techniques to on-chip detection for portable and rapid point-of-care (POC) testing. These devices are cost-effective, sensitive, and rapid and can be used in areas lacking resources. Moreover, their functionality can rival their benchtop counterparts, making them efficient for disease detection. In this review, we discuss the limitations of currently used conventional HIV diagnostic assays and provide an overview of potential microfluidic technologies that can improve HIV testing in POC settings. Full article
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Aptamer Based Point of Care Devices: Emerging Technologies and Integration of Computational Methods

Authors: Yusuf Aslan, Hussain Kawsar Chowdhury, Maryam Atabay, Göktürk Ilgım, Fatih Inci

Abstract: Recent advances in biosensing realm paved a critical road in biomedical applications at point-of-care (POC) settings through accurate and affordable diagnostic platforms. Today, the trend of antibody utilization as bio-recognitional element in POC devices is challenging due to the inabilities of antibodies providing high specificity and robustness. One promising candidate for biomarker capturing element is aptamers—short sequences of single-stranded DNA, RNA or artificial XNA structures. The expedient properties of these molecules are small molecular size, ease-of-amenable to chemical modifications, low or non-immunogenetic characteristics, and reproducibility at short generation time. The utilization of these aforementioned features is pivotal for developing sensitive POC platforms. Furthermore, the deficiencies related to experimental efforts of biosensor design would be tackled by the integration of computational tools in order to understand molecular interactions between aptamers and target ligands. These complementary tools provide the prediction of molecular structure reliability and functionality of aptamers. In this review, we overviewed the use of aptamers in developing next-generation biosensing scheme by elaborating novel and portable POC assays, and we also highlighted the computational methods on aptamer modeling for integrating them with POC platforms.

Keywords: Aptamer; point-of-care; biosensor; nanomaterials; computational methods

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