Lateral Flow Assay for Interleukin 6: A Technological and Scientific Prospection of a 10-Year Survey.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that plays a crucial role not only in the immune system but also in numerous biological processes. Elevated IL-6 levels have been observed in many types of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Among the techniques that have been used to quantify IL-6, a Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) is one of the most promising. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to perform a technological and scientific exploration of the development of an LFA for IL-6. METHOD: The Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial-INPI (Brazil), European Patent Office - Espacenet, and United States Patent and Trademark Office-USPTO were used for the technological prospection to consider all the patents regarding an LFA for IL-6 detection. For the scientific investigation, the following periodic databases were used: Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, and Scielo, and were monitored from 2007 to May 2017. RESULTS: We found no patents based on the searched keywords, and a limited number of scientific articles were found. Therefore, the development of an LFA sensor for the detection of IL-6 appears to be innovative with significant biotechnological importance, creating a technology transfer to promote economic and industrial growth. CONCLUSION: The development of lateral flow immunosensors for IL-6 is innovative, as we could not find patents describing such a biosensor. Scientific prospection reported two lateral flow immunosensors. However, the test for IL-6 cannot be completed without using some kind of equipment for detection, such as the one we propose in future developments.

Nanostructured layer-by-layer films containing phaeophytin-b: electrochemical characterization for sensing purposes.

This paper reports the study and characterization of a new platform for practical applications, where the use of phaeophytin-b (phaeo-b), a compound derived from chlorophyll, was characterized and investigated for sensing purposes. Modified electrodes with nanostructured phaeo-b films were fabricated via the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique, where phaeo-b was assembled with cashew gum, a polysaccharide, or with poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH). The multilayer formation was investigated with UV-Vis spectroscopy by monitoring the absorption band associated to phaeo-b at approximately 410 nm, where distinct molecular interactions between the materials were verified. The morphology of the films was analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrochemical properties through redox behavior of phaeo-b were studied with cyclic voltammetry. The produced films were applied as sensors for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) detection. In terms of sensing, the cashew/phaeo-b film exhibited the most promising result, with a fast response and broad linear range upon the addition of H2O2. This approach provides a simple and inexpensive method for development of a nonenzymatic electrochemical sensor for H2O2.