International journal of nanomedicine
A Protease-Responsive and Protein-Gated Gold Nanocluster Platform for Non-Invasive Urinary Colorimetric Diagnosis of Glioblastoma
By Yang J and Liu X.
Abstract
Background
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) diagnosis remains challenging because conventional imaging may have limited ability to distinguish tumor progression or recurrence from treatment-related changes, and robust non-invasive biomarkers are still lacking. This study developed a protease-responsive gold nanocluster platform for urinary colorimetric detection of GBM via a synthetic biomarker strategy.
Methods
We synthesized glutathione-capped AuNCs (GSH-AuNCs) and conjugated them with a substrate-responsive peptide (SRP) and a bulky NeutrAvidin (NAv) protein to form the AuNC-SRP-NAv complex. The NAv acts as a steric shield to lock the peroxidase-like activity of the AuNCs. The complex's physicochemical properties, stability, and protease-triggered activation (MMP-9) were characterized. In vivo biodistribution, renal clearance, and diagnostic performance were evaluated in orthotopic GBM-bearing mice.