Optical Bionanosensors for Sepsis Diagnostics

Abstract

Sepsis is a global health challenge, characterized by a dysregulated immune response, leading to organ dysfunction and death. Despite advances in medical care, sepsis continues to claim a significant toll on human lives, with mortality rates from 10–25% for sepsis and 30–50% for septic shock, making it a leading cause of death worldwide. Current diagnostic methods rely on clinical signs, laboratory parameters, or microbial cultures and suffer from delays and inaccuracies. Therefore, there is a pressing need for novel diagnostic tools that can rapidly and accurately identify sepsis. This review highlights advances in biosensor development that could ultimately lead to faster and more accurate sepsis diagnostics. The focus is on nanomaterial-based optical approaches that promise rapid diagnostics without the need for large equipment or trained personnel. An overview of sepsis is provided, highlighting potential molecular targets and the challenges they present for assay development. The requirements for an ideal point-of-care test (POC) are discussed, including speed, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness. Different nanomaterials suitable for various optical detection methods are reviewed and innovative nanosensors are discussed for sepsis diagnostics, focusing on chemical design and approaches to increase selectivity by multiplexing.