BRIC-RGCB researchers develop nanopore sensor for early Parkinson’s, ALS detection
The technology is designed to detect biomarkers that occur in extremely low concentrations and are therefore difficult to identify using conventional methods, the researchers said.
Thiruvananthapuram: Scientists from Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council-Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (BRIC-RGCB) have created a nanopore-based sensor capable of early detection and monitoring of biomarkers associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and ALS. The technology can identify minute concentrations of biomarkers that are challenging to detect using traditional methods, according to the researchers.The research team, headed by Mahendran K R, devised sensors using self-assembling peptides that form pores of varying sizes.
These sensors can differentiate between disease-related and non-disease-related forms of biomarkers, even when they are present in protein mixtures at extremely low levels, the statement said.The results have been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. The researchers envision the technology being adapted for point-of-care devices that can directly detect disease biomarkers in biological fluids such as blood.
The platform could potentially be extended to biomarkers linked to other diseases, including cancer.The inspiration for the nanopore design came from natural structures, per the statement. Merging nature-inspired nanopores with pores designed through computational methods may result in even more sensitive sensing technologies in the future.The study was carried out in collaboration with researchers from Constructor University in Germany and CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology in Kolkata.
It was supported by the departments of biotechnology, science and technology, Indian Council of Medical Research, and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
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