New Delhi: Scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have developed a smartphone-enabled platform that can detect amyloid-β (Aβ), a key biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease.
The platform named ADxFluo is built around a fluorescence-responsive tiny molecule called TZ-48.
According to researchers, Upon interaction with Aβ, TZ-48undergoes changes in fluorescence intensity, which are captured and quantified the smartphone application.
Scientists added that this shows potential applications in the screening and staging of Alzheimer’s, and offers rapid, cost-effective alternatives to traditional tests.
The research was carried out by Krithi K. Bhagavath, Madhu Ramesh, Yogendra Kumar, Sabyasachi Mandal, Hiriyakkanavar Ila and Thimmaiah Govindaraju, and published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by memory loss, cognitive decline and behavioural impairment, caused by the misfolding and aggregation of Aβ into plaques that trigger neurotoxic cascades leading to synaptic dysfunction.
Aβ is considered an early and disease-specific biomarker under the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association (NIA-AA) framework, making it a reliable indicator for diagnosis.
Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) has emerged as a powerful sensing modality because fluorescence lifetime is largely independent of probe concentration and photobleaching. This enables robust detection of biomarkers and enhancing diagnostic precision, as per the study.
