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Method developed to diagnose Alzheimer's with 1 body fluid drop
  • By Lee Han-soo
  • Published 2020.08.31 14:02
  • Updated 2020.08.31 16:44
  • comments 0

A Korea University-Kyung Hee University research team has developed a highly sensitive nanobiosensor that can detect the major cause of Alzheimer's disease in blood and cerebrospinal fluid to a femtogram level using graphene field-effect transistors.

A joint research team, led by Professors Yoon Dae-sung of Korea University (left) and Hwang Gyo-sun of Kyung Hee University, has developed a new nanobiosensor that can diagnose Alzheimer's. (Korea University)

Alzheimer's disease is the most common degenerative brain disease that accounts for about 70 percent of dementia, while beta-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau protein are known as causative agents.

Hospitals currently use neuropsychological question-and-answer methods or positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. However, the test results are subjective and have a disadvantage as they are expensive.

Besides, the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health recently published that the detection of beta-amyloid and tau proteins in body fluids is important for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the need for a sensor that can accurately analyze biomarkers that exist as a few picograms in body fluids has greatly increased.

To resolve the issue, the team, led by Professor Yoon Dae-sung at Korea University and Professor Hwang Gyo-sun at Kyung Hee University, focused on the fact that beta-amyloid and tau proteins have different surface charge properties depending on body fluid's physiological environment. Afterward, the team developed a pin-based field-effect transistor multiple detection platforms.

"The graphene-based nanobiosensor developed by the team has an advantage as it can be extended to diagnose various diseases as a platform technology," Professor Yoon said. "In other words, the device can not only detect related factors of Alzheimer's disease, but can greatly contribute to related clinical research by expanding accurate disease diagnosis through surface charge analysis of various disease-causing substances."

Yoon further stressed that the team is conducting an additional study to diagnose the risk of Alzheimer's disease by analyzing the concentration of beta-amyloid and tau protein in the blood and saliva samples of actual patients with Professor Lee Jin-san at Kyung Hee University Hospital.

Biosensors & Bioelectronics published the results of the study.

corea022@docdocdoc.co.kr

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