Now Reading: BRIC-RGCB develops nanopore sensor for Parkinson’s, ALS detection
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BRIC-RGCB develops nanopore sensor for Parkinson’s, ALS detection
BRIC-RGCB develops nanopore sensor for Parkinson’s, ALS detection
Researchers at BRIC-RGCB in Thiruvananthapuram have developed a nanopore-based sensing technology for early detection of biomarkers linked to Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The sensors, using self-assembling short peptides, can…
Researchers at BRIC-RGCB in Thiruvananthapuram have developed a nanopore-based sensing technology for early detection of biomarkers linked to Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The sensors, using self-assembling short peptides, can distinguish disease-associated from non-disease forms of biomarkers even at very low concentrations in complex protein mixtures.
The technology was detailed in Nature Nanotechnology. The research team, led by Mahendran K R, collaborated with Constructor University in Germany and CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata. The project was supported by the department of biotechnology, department of science and technology, Indian Council of Medical Research, and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
The researchers said the platform could eventually be adapted for point-of-care devices that detect biomarkers from blood, and could be extended to biomarkers linked to other diseases including cancer.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and ALS are notoriously hard to diagnose early because their biomarkers appear at trace levels in body fluids. Existing detection methods often miss these signals. A nanopore sensor that works at such low concentrations could shift diagnosis from late-stage symptoms to pre-symptomatic screening, but translating a Nature Nanotechnology proof-of-concept into a clinic-ready device typically takes years of validation on patient samples. The next milestone will be whether the BRIC-RGCB team can demonstrate reliable detection from actual human blood or cerebrospinal fluid, not just lab mixtures.
Source: health.economictimes.indiatimes.com
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