一个国际研究小组开发了一种手持设备, non-invasive device that can detect biomarkers for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. The biosensor can also transmit the results wirelessly to a laptop or smartphone.
该团队在患者的体外样本上测试了该设备. The tests showed the device is as accurate as the state of the art testing methods. Ultimately, researchers plan to test saliva and urine samples with the biosensor. The device could be modified to detect biomarkers for other conditions as well.
研究人员在11月11日发表了他们的研究结果. 《欧洲杯买球》2023年第13期.
这种装置依靠电检测而不是化学检测, 哪个研究人员说更容易实施和更准确.
“This portable diagnostic system would allow testing at-home and at point of care, 比如诊所和疗养院, 全球范围的神经退行性疾病,拉特纳什·拉尔说, 一个生物工程, mechanical engineering and materials science professor at the 正规欧洲杯买球网站圣地亚哥分校 Jacobs School of Engineering and one of the paper’s corresponding authors.
By the year 2060, about 14 million Americans will suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease. Other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s, are also on the rise. Current state of the art testing methods for Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s require a spinal tap and imaging tests, 包括核磁共振. 结果是, 早期发现这种疾病很困难, 因为病人对侵入性手术犹豫不决. Testing is also difficult for patients who are already exhibiting symptoms and have difficulty moving as well as those who have no early access to local hospitals or medical facilities.
这是该领域的主流假说之一, 拉尔关注的是什么, is that Alzheimer’s Disease is caused by soluble amyloid peptides that come together in larger molecules, 进而在大脑中形成离子通道.
Lal wanted to develop a test that would be able to detect amyloid beta and tau peptides – biomarkers for Alzheimer’s – and alpha synuclein proteins – biomarker for Parkinson’s – non invasively, 特别是唾液和尿液. 他想依靠电检测而不是化学检测, 因为他认为这样更容易实施，也更准确. He also wanted to build a device that could wirelessly transmit the test results to the patient’s family and physicians. 这个装置是他三十年专业知识的结晶, 以及他与全球研究人员的合作, 包括来自德克萨斯州和中国的合著者.
他说:“我在努力提高生活质量，拯救生命.
实现拉尔的愿景, he and colleagues adapted a device they developed during the COVID pandemic to detect the spike and nucleoprotein proteins in the live SARS-CoV-2 virus, 他们在2022年的PNAS上描述了这一点. That breakthrough had been made possible by chip miniaturization and by large-scale automation of biosensor manufacturing.
这个设备是如何制造的?它是如何工作的
该设备在2023年的PNAS研究中描述, 由一个带有高灵敏度晶体管的芯片组成, 通常称为场效应晶体管(FET). 在这种情况下, each transistor is made of a graphene layer that is a single atom thick (GFET, with the G standing for graphene) and three electrodes–source and drain electrodes, 连接到电池的正极和负极的, 使电流流动, 并有一个栅极来控制电流的流量.
与栅极相连的是一条DNA链, 哪一种可以作为探针特异性地与淀粉样蛋白结合, Tau或突触核蛋白. 这些淀粉样蛋白与其特定DNA链探针的结合, 被称为适体, 改变源极和漏极之间的电流流量. The change in this current or voltage is the signal used to detect the specific biomarkers, 比如淀粉样蛋白或COVID - 19蛋白.
The research team tested the device with brain-derived amyloid proteins from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s deceased patients. The experiments showed that the biosensors were able to detect the specific biomarkers for both conditions with great accuracy, 与现有的最先进的方法相媲美. 该装置也能在极低浓度下工作, meaning that it needs small quantities for samples–down to just a few microliters.
除了, the tests showed that the device performed well even when the samples analyzed contained other proteins. Tau蛋白更难检测. 而是因为该设备会检测三种不同的生物标志物, it can combine results from all three to arrive at a reliable overall result.
The technology has been licensed from 正规欧洲杯买球网站圣地亚哥分校 to a biotechnology startup Ampera Life. Lal is the company’s chairman but does not receive financial support for his research from the company.
Next steps include testing blood plasma and cerebro-spinal fluid with the device, 最后是唾液和尿液样本. 测试将在医院和养老院进行. 如果测试顺利的话, Ampera Life计划申请FDA对该设备的批准, 希望在接下来的五到六个月. 最终目标是在一年内将该设备推向市场.
这项研究的资金来自美国国立卫生研究院, the 正规欧洲杯买球网站 San Diego and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 除了, researchers used facilities that are a part of the NSF-funded 正规欧洲杯买球网站圣地亚哥分校 Materials 研究 Science and Engineering Center.
In pursuit of degenerative brain disease diagnosis: dementia biomarkers detected by DNA aptamer-attached portable graphene biosensor
正规欧洲杯买球网站圣地亚哥分校:泰勒A. Bodily, Anirudh Ramanathan, Abhijith Karkisaval, Armando Rami, Prachi Heda. M. 莱特，拉特纳什·拉尔
Shanghai Institute of Microsystem Information Technology Shahong Wei, Yi WAng, Tie Li, Jianlong Zhao
中国科学院大学教授魏沙宏
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas Nemil Bhatt, Cynthia Jerez, Md Anzarul Haque
伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校的桑吉夫·库马尔
这种生物传感器由一个带有高灵敏度晶体管的芯片组成, made of a graphene layer that is a single atom thick and three electrodes–source and drain electrodes, 连接到电池的正极和负极的, 使电流流动, 并有一个栅极来控制电流的流量.
