#AI reads Urine# Ultrasensitive Fluorescent Detection of Urinary Trypsin for Early Pancreatic Disease Diagnosis: Toward Smartphone-Assisted Analysis
Published 19 March, 2026
This study developed a fluorescence-based diagnostic platform for pancreatic diseases, which utilizes a protamine-mediated fluorescent probe capable of ultrasensitive detection of urinary trypsin without sample pretreatment. The π-extended pyrene fluorescent probe functionalized with four carboxylate groups selectively interacts with protamine to form micellar aggregates, resulting in amplified fluorescence quenching. Trypsin-mediated proteolysis of protamine reduces its positive charge density and length, disassembling the aggregates and restoring monomeric fluorescence, thereby enabling highly sensitive detection. The sensing platform achieves a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.0 ng/mL in 10% human urine and can reliably quantify trypsin within the sub-microgram range (0.03–0.7 µg/mL) in diluted human urine, making it suitable for early pancreatic disease screening. It exhibits excellent selectivity, maintaining high performance even in the presence of acute pancreatitis (AP)-inducing factors such as aspirin, ibuprofen, dexibuprofen, acetaminophen, 6-mercaptopurine, ethanol, and its metabolites. Additionally, the platform integrates with a smartphone-based fluorescence detection system, realizing portable and user-friendly analysis of urine samples. Overall, this non-invasive, rapid, and practical diagnostic tool provides a promising alternative to conventional methods, holding significant potential for the early detection and clinical application of pancreatic diseases.
Chem Asian J. 2026 Jan;21(1):e70557. doi: 10.1002/asia.70557.
Youhe Gao
Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used Doubao / AI reading for summarizing the content. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.
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