Scientists at CATRIN of Palacký University used gold nanostructures to develop new methods that can detect very low concentrations of substances important for the functioning of the human body - for example, dopamine and serotonin. The results, achieved by experts from the Nanomaterials in Biomedicine research group in collaboration with other colleagues, have great potential for future fast, sensitive and personalized diagnostics.
In a study published in the journal Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research, they developed a special “plasmonic paper” covered with gold nanoparticles. “This allows you to easily collect tears and then analyze their dopamine levels. This is what may be related to Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that is sometimes confused with dry eye syndrome,” explained the first author of the article , Klára Dzurillová .
The second study, published in the journal Microchimica Acta , focused on the simultaneous detection of serotonin and sertraline, a commonly used antidepressant from the SSRI group. The use of SERS (surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy) technology made it possible to significantly amplify the signal of the monitored molecules using a specially modified surface. In this case, the scientists used very small gold nanocones, between which there are gaps smaller than 20 nanometers. It is in these gaps that so-called hot spots arise, i.e. places where the electromagnetic field is extremely amplified, and thanks to this, even a very small amount of the monitored substance can be captured.
"Thanks to the new procedure, we were also able to detect serotonin and sertraline at the same time. In the future, the method opens up the possibility of simultaneously monitoring the concentration of the antidepressant and serotonin, the level of which the treatment affects. This could contribute to a more accurate assessment of the effect of the treatment and its adaptation to a specific patient," said Kateřina Poláková, corresponding author of the article and head of the Nanomaterials in Biomedicine research group .
Both approaches utilize surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and achieved very low detection limits even in the presence of other substances that can complicate the measurement.
