Multiplexed Ion-Selective Electrodes for Precision Medicine: A Companion Diagnostic Device for Succinylcholine Poor Metabolizers

Abstract

Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) is a key enzyme for the health and disease of our nervous system. Recognized as a stoichiometric bioscavenger, it circulates abundantly in plasma, positioning it as a first line of defense against harmful substrates. Impaired enzymatic activity following succinylcholine standard dose may lead to a postanesthetic apnea lasting up to 10 hours, posing a critical threat to patients' lives. Despite the blooming era of medical innovations, identifying patients at risk remains a challenge due to the lack of a standard method to screen for BuChE mutations. This work offers a novel testing system utilizing Ion-Selective electrodes (ISEs), a promising solution with up to the second real-time monitoring of the hydrolysis of the BuChE in the immediate preoperative phase. The research group focuses on fabricating a biosensor for Invitro kinetic profiling of BuChE’s activity directly in human serum samples to facilitate early diagnosis of drugs’ rational dose and determine patient’s eligibility to receive Succinylcholine. We are aiming to design an affordable 3D printed multiplexed electrochemical senor array that is portable to allow automated readout for resolving the “FDA Black box warning” and adopted by healthcare professionals as simple, cost effective and highly throughput method informing anesthesiologists of patients at risk. This Invitro diagnostic system will alleviate health disparities and help global clinics lacking modern lab infrastructure to screen patients effectively before any surgery by measuring the rate at which BuChE breaks its most common substrates, Succinylcholine.