Indian researchers at BRIC-RGCB have achieved a significant breakthrough with new nanopore-based sensing technology, enabling the early and highly sensitive detection of critical biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and ALS.
Key Points
- BRIC-RGCB researchers developed a nanopore-based sensing technology for early detection of neurodegenerative disease biomarkers.
- The 'self-assembling dual-diameter' nanopore sensors can detect biomarkers for Parkinson's and ALS with high sensitivity.
- This breakthrough enables the identification of disease-associated biomarkers even at extremely low concentrations in complex protein mixtures.
- The innovative sensors hold potential for developing future point-of-care devices for various diseases, including cancer.
- Published in Nature Nanotechnology, the research combines nature-inspired design with computational approaches for enhanced sensitivity.
Researchers at BRIC-RGCB have developed a nanopore-based sensing technology that could enable early detection and monitoring of biomarkers linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Biomarkers are biological indicators of diseases that can be used for early detection, and nanopores are extremely small hollow structures. However, detecting biomarkers at an early stage using conventional techniques remains challenging, the BRIC-Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology said in a statement here on Friday. This is because many of these biomarkers occur at extremely low concentrations, it said.
Breakthrough In Biomarker Detection
Addressing this challenge, a research team, led by Dr Mahendran K R with contributions from his PhD student Varsha Shaji and postdoctoral researcher Dr Neethu Puthumadathil, has designed 'self-assembling dual-diameter' nanopore sensors capable of detecting such biomarkers with high sensitivity. The research, published in Nature Nanotechnology, represents a significant advance in nanoscience and biomolecular sensing.
In the new approach, the researchers designed short peptides that form pores of varying sizes, providing a versatile platform for sensing biomolecules with different shapes and dimensions, it said. The sensors distinguish disease and non-disease-associated forms of the biomarkers, even when they are present in complex protein mixtures at very low concentrations.
Future Applications And Collaborations
In the future, these innovative sensors can be used to develop point-of-care devices that detect biomarkers associated with various diseases, such as cancer, directly from biological fluids, including blood. The nanopore architecture developed in the study was inspired by nature and is distinct from computational nanopore design pioneered by Nobel Laureate Prof David Baker. Combining nature-inspired pores with computational design could lead to the development of even more sensitive nanopore sensors in the future, it said.
BRIC-RGCB Director Dr Beena Pillai said, "Early and accurate detection remains a major challenge in managing neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and ALS." The nanopore sensor platform demonstrates how advances in nanotechnology and biotechnology can come together to address a critical unmet need in healthcare, she said.
Understanding Neurodegenerative Diseases
The work was carried out in collaboration with Prof Dr Ulrich Kleinekathofer's group at Constructor University, Germany, and Dr Krishnananda Chattopadhyay's group at CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata. The study was supported by grants from the Department of Biotechnology, the Department of Science and Technology, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Government of India, the statement added.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement and can worsen over time as nerve cells in parts of the brain become damaged and die. In advanced cases, complications can become life-threatening. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rare, progressive disease that damages nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, gradually affecting a person's ability to control their muscles.
