title: Aptamer-conjugated live human immune cell based biosensors for the accurate detection of C-reactive protein.
abstract: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a pentameric protein that is present in the bloodstream during inflammatory events, e.g., liver failure, leukemia, and/or bacterial infection. The level of CRP indicates the progress and prognosis of certain diseases; it is therefore necessary to measure CRP levels in the blood accurately. The normal concentration of CRP is reported to be 1-3 mg/L. Inflammatory events increase the level of CRP by up to 500 times; accordingly, CRP is a biomarker of acute inflammatory disease. In this study, we demonstrated the preparation of DNA aptamer-conjugated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (Apt-PBMCs) that specifically capture human CRP. Live PBMCs functionalized with aptamers could detect different levels of human CRP by producing immune complexes with reporter antibody. The binding behavior of Apt-PBMCs toward highly concentrated CRP sites was also investigated. The immune responses of Apt-PBMCs were evaluated by measuring TNF-alpha secretion after stimulating the PBMCs with lipopolysaccharides. In summary, engineered Apt-PBMCs have potential applications as live cell based biosensors and for in vitro tracing of CRP secretion sites.
authors.affiliation: School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jangsun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Youngmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeonho
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.affiliation: School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jaewoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Son
authors.affiliation: School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jonghoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein