Hydrogen peroxide detection with high specificity in living cells and inflamed tissues

Anyone ever confronted with the challenge of solving a complicated problem knows that the best thing to do is to get out in front of the issue as best as possible. Being able to react before things go too far is essential if any solution is to have success. The same thing applies when trying to treat some of the more serious medical conditions people face today. When it comes to diseases such as chronic inflammation, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer, researchers have been able to pinpoint some of the signs that indicate the onset of these conditions. Specifically, oxidative stress resulting from the presence of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) has been identified as one of the first signs of an oncoming health condition. The presence of Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) is seen as a critical indicator of such oxidative stress and serves as a key second messenger in fundamental biological processes. Therefore, being able to accurately detect changes in H₂O₂ is important to uncovering potential conditions, though researchers do not yet have sufficiently effective devices to monitor this; there are ways to measure H₂O₂, but detecting change is difficult.

The study performed by Rong et al. from Wuhan University in China set out to test the effectiveness of a two-photon H₂O₂ detection system to see if it could be accurate in monitoring the presence of this key substance. They did this by inducing oxidation of boronic acid to phenolate and comparing the results obtained with their device with previously used materials. As an example, they used the Amplite Fluorimetric Hydrogen Peroxide Assay Kit which is known to produce robust, accurate and reliable readings of H₂O₂ levels, as well as to reveal intriguing cellular pathways related to oxidative stress.

The device designed and tested by Rong and his team reveals a new and effective way to measure the inflammation produced by increased levels of H₂O₂. This is significant as it gives researchers and doctors the opportunity to carefully measure the development of certain diseases, as well the ability to better understand when to intervene with treatment so that their efforts can be as effective as possible. Studies like these prove to make huge advancements in the search for cures for some of the most troubling diseases, and it would not be possible without the quality readings obtained from materials such as the Amplite Fluorimetric Hydrogen Peroxide Assay Kit. Confident the readings they obtained are accurate, the research team could report on the accuracy of the detector they developed, which is sure to open the door to new efforts for effectively treating the gravest diseases out there. So while it may seem like a cure is still something to come, the efforts by research teams such as this one help to pave the way for more effective studies in the future, once again bringing the medical community one step closer to finding treatments.

References

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1. Rong, Lei, et al. "Hydrogen peroxide detection with high specificity in living cells and inflamed tissues." Regenerative biomaterials 3.4 (2016): 217-222.