Azheimer's is a one type of neurodegenerative disorder that causes the patients brain to shrink and brain cells to die. The disease is characterised by gradual loss of neurons and synapses in the brain of the patients. There are many causes of Alzheimer’s. One of the primary causes of Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) in the brain, where amyloid β (Aβ) forms plaques. This disease is mostly seen in individuals over 65 years of age. So, Alzheimer’s disease is great threat for nations with aging populations, such as Japan, China, Korea.
There are a few methods to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. The disease can only be definitively diagnosed by the direct examination of the brain. which can only be possible after the patients death. Another way to detect amyloid β (Aβ) accumulation in the brain is cerebrospinal fluid testing by positron emission tomography (PET). However, first one is extremely invasive test which cannot be repeated, and the second one is quite expensive. So, there is need for an economical, accurate and widely available diagnostic test.
Recently researchers from Hokkaido University have developed a method to detect amyloid β in the brain. They have made a mice model and developed a biosensing technology that can detect amyloid β (Aβ)-binding exosomes in the blood of mice, which increase accumulates in the brain.
The research shows that the concentration of Aβ-binding exosomes increased with the age of the mice. They developed a highly sensitive idICA technology. The device they developed traps molecules and particles from a sample one-by-one in a million micrometer sized microscopic wells on a measurement chip. Also detects the presence or absence of fluorescent signals emitted by the cleaving of the amyloid β(Aβ)-binding exosomes. Clinical trials of the technology are currently ongoing in humans. In future this technology can be used to diagnose other diseases also.
Original Research:
“Immuno-digital invasive cleavage assay for analyzing Alzheimer’s amyloid β-bound extracellular vesicles” by Kohei Yuyama et al. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-022-01073-w
Download the paper from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fQ8SXCga4dzcV5JU4zOdPyquSshxPSQ-/view?usp=drivesdk