3D-printed portable dual-mode sensor for sST2 detection in heart failure

Ce-MOF enabled dual-mode fluorescence/colorimetric sST2 detection. • A 3D-printed portable device provided smartphone-based readout. • The sensor exhibited high sensitivity and reliable analytical performance. • The platform demonstrated good selectivity and serum applicability. Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) is an important biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure. However, conventional sST2 assays generally require sophisticated instrumentation and trained personnel, limiting their applicability in point-of-care testing (POCT). To address this challenge, we developed an integrated dual-mode sensing platform for sST2 determination by exploiting the fluorescence and peroxidase-mimicking properties of cerium-based metal–organic frameworks (Ce-MOFs) in combination with the high specificity of aptamers. Under laboratory conditions, the fluorescence and colorimetric sensing systems exhibited excellent analytical performance, with linear detection ranges of 0.1–200 ng/mL and limits of detection (LODs) of 0.02 ng/mL and 0.01 ng/mL, respectively. Furthermore, a portable visual dual-mode device was fabricated using 3D-printing technology and integrated with a smartphone-based analytical application, enabling quantitative analysis within 1 h. The portable platform exhibited linear responses over the range of 1–180 ng/mL, with LODs of 0.11 ng/mL and 0.07 ng/mL in fluorescence and colorimetric modes, respectively. Recovery studies in spiked serum samples yielded satisfactory recoveries ranging from 93.15% to 105.18%. The developed platform also demonstrated excellent selectivity and strong agreement with established clinical assays. This integrated dual-mode POCT platform provides a rapid, sensitive, accurate, and cost-effective strategy for sST2 determination, demonstrating significant potential for decentralized heart failure screening, prognosis assessment, and point-of-care clinical monitoring. Download: Download high-res image (84KB) Download: Download full-size image