Nanosensor Prototype for Antidepressant Drugs Based on Cytochrome P450 Enzyme

Cytochrome P450 (CYPs) monooxygenases are well-known drug-metabolizing enzymes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotic molecules in animals and plants. Particularly active in drug metabolism are the mammalian liver CYP species, which exhibit broad and overlapping substrate specificity for one another. About 30% of currently available medications are metabolized by the CYP2D6 isoform, including b-adrenergic blockers, antihypertensive medications, and antidepressants like paroxetine and fluoxetine. CYP2C19 is involved in the metabolism of other medications like amitriptyline and citalopram (CIT). The idea of using these enzymes to make electrochemical nanosensors to monitor drug levels in blood samples appears to be receiving a lot of attention. This biosensor represents a device that can be used in various fields of clinical diagnostics, including the monitoring of drug therapies and vital parameters. It is important to underline that the choice of antidepressant may be guided by the past response to a specific drug, the side effect profile, the presence of comorbidities and potential interactions with other drugs. Starting from this evidence, it can be stated that sensors for antidepressants can be useful in clinical and forensic contexts to monitor adherence to therapy, plasma concentration of drugs, the onset of adverse effects or toxicity and the presence of abuse or overdose of drugs. In our work drug concentration in the samples can be determined using the electrochemical signal produced by the interactions of the drugs with CYP. The two P450 enzyme isoforms that are employed to electrochemically identify the interaction between an antidepressant drug and a cytochrome are sensitive enough to guarantee the precision and specificity of the nano-biodevice.