EAGER: Detection Of In Vivo Corticosterone In Mice Using Cophmore Engineering And Fluorescent Carbon Nanotube Sensors

EAGER：使用 Cophmore 工程和荧光碳纳米管传感器检测小鼠体内皮质酮

• 批准号: 1445131
• 负责人: Michael Strano
• 金额: $ 20万
• 依托单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-10-01 至 2016-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1445131&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Detection; Vivo; Corticosterone; Mice

Steroid hormones produced by the adrenal gland are important biomarkers for psychological stress. They are involved in fat and sugar metabolism, modulation of the immune system and cognitive processes in the brain. Despite the obvious need to characterize the dynamic changes in these steroids throughout daily life, there has been little progress towards a method of in vivo detection of these important hormones. Dr. Michael Strano's research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will build upon their recently developed platform technique called Corona Phase Molecular Recognition (CoPhMoRe) to create novel sensors for long-term in vivo monitoring of a specific steroid hormone, corticosterone, a steroid hormone in rodents. If successful, continuous and fast detection of corticosterone from the blood, the brain, and other tissues will become a reality. Initially, nanoscale fluorescent sensors for corticosterone will be placed in mice near the region of interest either by injecting them into the blood stream, incorporating and implanting them in biocompatible hydrogel particles or immobilizing them on waveguide probes. Once internalized the sensors will determine local corticosterone concentrations through activation by a non-invasive light. Measuring sensor responses with light enables fast ( 1 second) and continuous (1 year) monitoring of corticosterone concentrations. This new sensor will provide completely new insights into the dynamics of this hormone and related physiological processes and form the foundation for further developing the sensor for cortisol, a related stress hormone in humans. This technology will enable a detailed understanding of the role of steroid hormones in the healthy, as well as diseased, organism.Understanding the dynamic function of the stress response system is critical for developing solutions for many social and health problems that involve stress regulation. The development of an in vivo corticosterone sensor for investigation using rodent model system will be transformative for both the basic research in the role of stress in cognitive function and clinical research on treatment of illness associated with stress. The economic and societal benefits of developing noninvasive nanoscale sensors for the ultimate development of cortisol detection in humans are enormous. In addition, this project will provide an opportunity to understand molecular recognition at the nanometer scale as a teaching aid to students. Using conventional microscopy with modified optics and near infrared detectors, students are able to study CoPhMoRe at the single molecule level as well as to learn the techniques needed for in vivo research. The Strano laboratory at MIT has a strong track record of working and publishing with undergraduate students and minorities; this grant will continue these efforts by supporting a female postdoc.

肾上腺产生的类固醇激素是心理压力的重要生物标志物。它们参与脂肪和糖代谢，免疫系统的调节以及大脑中的认知过程。尽管显然需要表征整个日常生活中这些类固醇的动态变化，但在体内检测这些重要激素的方法方面几乎没有进步。马萨诸塞州理工学院（MIT）的迈克尔·斯特拉诺（Michael Strano）博士的研究团队将建立在其最近开发的平台技术的基础上，称为Corona相分子识别（Cophmore），以创建新型的传感器，以长期对特定类固醇激素的体内监测，皮质酮，皮质激素，皮质酮，一种类固醇激素，一种类固醇激素。如果成功，连续且快速检测血液中的皮质酮，大脑和其他组织将成为现实。 最初，将纳米级荧光传感器通过将其注入血液，将其掺入生物相容性的水凝胶颗粒中，或将其固定在波形探针上，将它们放置在感兴趣区域附近的小鼠中。一旦内化，传感器将通过非侵入光激活来确定局部皮质酮浓度。用光测量传感器响应可以快速（1秒）和对皮质酮浓度的连续（1年）监测。 该新传感器将为这种激素和相关生理过程的动力学提供全新的见解，并为进一步开发皮质醇传感器的基础，这是人类中相关的应激激素。这项技术将使对类固醇激素在健康以及患病的生物体中的作用详细了解。理解压力反应系统的动态功能对于为许多涉及压力调节的社会和健康问题开发解决方案至关重要。 使用啮齿动物模型系统进行研究的体内皮质酮传感器的开发将是针对压力在认知功能中的作用的基础研究以及与压力相关的疾病治疗的临床研究的基础研究。 开发非侵入性纳米级传感器以最终发展人类皮质醇检测的经济和社会利益是巨大的。此外，该项目将提供一个机会，以了解纳米量表的分子识别作为对学生的教学辅助。 使用传统的显微镜和经过修改的光学元件和近红外探测器，学生能够在单分子水平上研究Cophmore，并学习体内研究所需的技术。 麻省理工学院的Strano实验室在与本科生和少数民族的工作和出版方面有着良好的记录；这笔赠款将通过支持女性博士后来继续这些努力。