Work

Magnetic bead electrochemical sandwich assay (MBESA) for the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β in fetal membrane on-a-chip studies and placental macrophages

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Approximately 70% of preterm births (PTB) are spontaneous due to the preterm premature rupture of the fetal membranes (PPROM), often caused by chorioamnionitis. PTB is a global epidemic with the biological PPROM mechanisms largely unknown, the treatment methods ineffective, and the biomarker identification technologies trailing behind modern research. There is a significant demand for new analytical techniques that identify PTB biomarkers, such as the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β), within biological models. In this work, we have quantified IL-1β with our newly developed magnetic bead electrochemical sandwich assay (MBESA), an alternative to traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). We have utilized a fetal membrane organ on-a-chip (FMOC) to mimic the physiological functions of the human fetal membranes during bacterial infections in vitro. The MBESA was optimized to detect IL-1β levels present within a FMOC and lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-infected cell cultures. We present the design of the MBESA, highlighting the high sensitivity of an electrochemical technique and the application of the FMOC in reproductive research. The MBESA was able to reproducibly detect standard IL-1β levels in the physiological ranges of 10 pg/mL to 600 pg/mL. Significant differences were observed in LPS-treated and untreated macrophages samples, but there was no significant difference between the MBESA and ELISA methods when examining LPS-treated and untreated macrophages samples. We found that the MBESA and FMOC are promising techniques to detect inflammatory cytokines present in fetal membrane cultures. The overall goal includes optimizing the electrochemical performance of the MBESA in biological organ on-a-chip platforms to advance analytical sensor development.

Source: Sensors and Actuators B Chemical

DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2025.138724

Authors: Hannah A. Richards, Olivia E. Owens, Jacklyn E. Martin, David E. Cliffel

Institutions: Vanderbilt University, Lebanon Valley College

Language: English

Topic: Electrochemical sensors and biosensors

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $5,010