Dual electrochemical detection of leucovorin and its metabolite 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid

• SWV sensor for the detection of cancer therapies leucovorin and its metabolite 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. • Detection down to clinically relevant concentrations within urine. • Dual detection achieved in both buffer and artificial urine within therapeutically relevant range. Current healthcare trends focus on personalised precision medicine, which customises treatment based on individual responses to both diseases and therapeutic interventions. This marks a departure from a “one size fits all” approach towards a more sophisticated strategy. However, notwithstanding progress in the theoretical knowledge for personalised precision approaches, resource constraints impede their implementation. Monitoring drug therapies is vital for the advancement of precision medicine, alongside drug development and targeted treatment strategies. This study presents the potential of electrochemical approaches including square wave voltammetry (SWV) as a proof-of-concept for the simultaneous monitoring of circulating concentrations of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) and leucovorin calcium (LV) within biological matrices. An easy-to-use and portable sensor has been developed for the detection of 5-MTHF and LV at therapeutically relevant concentrations without prior sample preparation. The sensor was successfully tested in artificial urine and human pooled serum, demonstrating its efficacy in diverse biological matrices. This approach successfully illustrated the dual detection of LV and 5-MTHF over the linear range 0 to 10 µM which is within the therapeutically relevant range for both within urine. The developed sensor exemplifies the potential of electrochemical sensors as point-of-care devices. Its rapid time to result and elimination of time-consuming sample preparation improve usability for clinicians, broadening the application of electrochemical sensors in clinical settings. This dual monitoring approach offers significant contributions to the evolution of precision medicine by providing real-time, accurate drug monitoring capabilities.