Biosensor Design for Detection of IL-6 as an Inflammatory Marker Using Omniphobic Surfaces

Seyed Amirhossein, Javad; Pestehei, Seyed Khalil; Bizhani Sharif, Sadegh; Khodaparast, Dr. Sepideh

doi:10.48311/biot.2025.103428.0

Biosensor Design for Detection of IL-6 as an Inflammatory Marker Using Omniphobic Surfaces

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

Javad Seyed Amirhossein ¹

Seyed Khalil Pestehei ²

Sadegh Bizhani Sharif ³

Dr. Sepideh Khodaparast ⁴

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center Neuroscience Institute Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex Tehran University of Medical Sciences

² Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex Tehran University of Medical Sciences

³ Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran

⁴ Neuroscience Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences

https://doi.org/10.48311/biot.2025.103428.0

Abstract

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key cytokine with dual pro- and anti-inflammatory roles, critically involved in immune regulation, cell differentiation, and tissue injury. Elevated serum levels of IL-6 serve as an indicator of various pathological conditions, including chronic infections, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. Despite advances in ELISA-based assays, these methods remain costly, time-consuming, and require relatively large sample volumes.
In this study, a novel omniphobic biosensor inspired by biological structures was developed for the sensitive detection of IL-6. Anti-IL-6 antibodies were uniformly immobilized using spray-coating onto a fluorosilane-treated polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrate. To enhance stability and minimize nonspecific adsorption, a layer of biocompatible lubricating liquid was introduced onto the sensor surface.
The fabricated biosensor demonstrated exceptional sensitivity, detecting IL-6 at concentrations as low as 2.5 pg/mL, even in human whole blood samples. Its high specificity, wide linear response range, and excellent reproducibility make this platform a promising candidate for rapid and sensitive detection of inflammatory biomarkers.

Keywords

Interleukin-6

omniphobic surfaces

polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)

fluorosilane

spray coating

biosensor

Subjects