Real-time diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma by combining digestive endoscopy and optic fiber biosensors based on bile clusterin.

Background: Early diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains challenging, but liquid biopsy is emerging as a promising detection strategy. Here, we identified a novel bile biomarker for CCA and developed an optic fiber biosensor integrated with digestive endoscopy for real-time diagnosis in vivo.

Methods: A total of 583 subjects and two proteomic analyses were used to screen and validate biomarkers for CCA, and then the corresponding antibodies were generated to construct a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based optic fiber biosensor. The diagnostic performance of the biosensor was validated in 120 patients in vitro, and its biological characteristics were assessed under various physiological conditions. Finally, its real-time detection and biosafety in vivo were verified in pigs and patients.

Findings: Clusterin (CLU) has been identified as a promising biomarker for CCA. Anti-CLU antibodies can specifically bind antigens with a K value of 0.231 nM, and the diameter of the antibody-coated biosensor is only 0.488 mm. The optic fiber biosensor can accurately detect different concentrations of CLU with an R value of 0.989, and it cannot be disturbed by other free proteins, ions, or different temperatures, pH levels, and colors. The biosensor can identify CCA within 2 s with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.854. Moreover, the biosensor can be easily introduced into porcine bile ducts via digestive endoscopy with excellent biocompatibility. Then, the biosensor was applied to three patients with non-calculous biliary strictures, and the results of real-time detection matched postoperative pathology.

Conclusions: The CLU-based biosensor-endoscopy system enables accurate diagnosis of CCA through real-time in vivo detection, offering significant clinical translational potential.

Funding: Funding information is shown in the acknowledgments.