Cell membrane coated electrochemical sensor for kinetic measurements of GLUT transport

The upregulation of glucose transporter (GLUT) is a typical pathological marker in numerous cancer types and a potential target for anti-cancer drug therapy. We developed a cell membrane-based glucose sensor for real-time monitoring of GLUT transport kinetics. By combining hydrogel layers and liposomes, a planar cell membrane was constructed over the electrode, preventing pore leakage and allowing for highly sensitive and selective measurements. Based on this continuous monitoring technique, we investigated the effect of GLUT1-specific inhibitors such as Cytorelaxation B and BAY-876. We also measured the affinity of different hexoses to GLUT1 using a normalized response time comparison based on the cell membrane sensor. Experimental results were consistent with the molecular docking simulation, indicating that the sensor can be adapted to measure the glucose transport kinetics in different pharmacological conditions. This work demonstrated that cell membrane transport channels could maintain their transmembrane function in-vitro, and it has potential application in evaluating drug-receptor interaction.