Nanopore Sensor Technology Enables Early Detection of Parkinson's and ALS Biomarkers
核心洞察
Researchers at BRIC-Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (搜索) developed self-assembling nanopore sensors capable of detecting low-concentration biomarkers linked to Parkinson's disease (搜索) and ALS.
The "dual-diameter" nanopore design distinguishes disease-associated biomarker forms from non-disease-associated forms even within complex protein mixtures.
Findings published in Nature Nanotechnology suggest the technology could support point-of-care devices detecting biomarkers directly from biological fluids such as blood.
Researchers at the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council-Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (BRIC-RGCB) have developed a nanopore-based sensing technology that could enable the early detection and monitoring of biomarkers linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (搜索) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (搜索) (ALS). The technology is designed to detect biomarkers that occur in extremely low concentrations and are therefore difficult to identify using conventional methods, according to the researchers.
The research team, led by Mahendran K R, developed sensors using short peptides that can self-assemble into pores of different sizes. The team included PhD student Varsha Shaji and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Neethu Puthumadathil, who developed self-assembling "dual-diameter" nanopore sensors. These sensors were able to distinguish between disease-associated and non-disease-associated forms of biomarkers, even when the biomarkers were present in complex mixtures of proteins at very low concentrations.
The findings have been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, marking an advance in biomolecular sensing.
Nature-Inspired Nanopore Design
The nanopore design used in the study was inspired by structures found in nature, according to the statement from BRIC-RGCB. The researchers designed short peptides that self-assemble into pores of different sizes, allowing the sensors to detect biomolecules of varying shapes and dimensions. This architecture differs from computational nanopore designs, and the researchers noted that combining such nature-inspired nanopores with computationally designed pores could lead to more sensitive sensing technologies in the future.
Potential for Point-of-Care Applications
The researchers said the technology could eventually be adapted for point-of-care devices capable of detecting disease biomarkers directly from biological fluids such as blood. Beyond neurodegenerative diseases, the platform could potentially be extended to biomarkers associated with other diseases, including cancer, according to the researchers.
BRIC-RGCB Director Dr. Beena Pillai said the technology demonstrates how nanotechnology and biotechnology can address the challenge of early and accurate detection of neurodegenerative diseases.
Collaborative Effort and Support
The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers at Constructor University (搜索), Germany, and CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (搜索), Kolkata. It was supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India.