Simultaneous Detection of MMP‑1 and MMP-12Using Au–Se Nanoprobe for Advancing NSCLC Diagnosis

This study presents the development and characterization of Au–Se nanoprobes (NPs) for the specific and simultaneous detection of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -12 (MMP-1/12), key biomarkers in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Leveraging the stability of Au–Se bonds against biological thiols, such as glutathione (GSH), the NPs exhibit remarkable resistance to interference, maintaining its fluorescence signal across a wide range of temperatures, pH levels, and in the presence of high concentrations of GSH. The synthesized NPs demonstrate high specificity and sensitivity toward MMP-1/12 <i>in vitro</i>, with optimal imaging achieved after 4 h of incubation in NSCLC A549 cells. Furthermore, confocal imaging experiments successfully distinguished between NSCLC A549 cells and normal lung epithelial cells (Beas-2b), underscoring the potential of these NPs in early NSCLC diagnosis and the study of tumor microenvironments. This work not only introduces a reliable tool for cancer biomarker detection but also contributes to the advancement of nanomaterial applications in NSCLC diagnosis.