Metal ion sensing for biomedical uses

Abstract

Fluorescence sensing is a powerful tool for investigating the concentration of various analytes in organized media (micelles, colloids, polymers, etc.) as well as in living cells and biological fluids and tissues. For biomedical uses, fluorescent sensors must meet several strict requirements. Most important, they must be selective for a specific metal ion, even in the presence of other metals ions found at a higher concentration. They also must be sensitive to the pathological concentration range—the metal-responsive probe is involved in equilibria which must be matched with the dissociation constant (Kd). For example, the concentration of sodium ions is significantly different in blood and urine than in intracellular locations.