Researchers at EPFL have made significant strides toward the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases( NDDs ) like Parkinson’s disease ( PD ) and dementia ( AD ) by fusing various cutting-edge technologies into a single system. The ImmunoSEIRA sensor is a cutting-edge tool that uses biosensing technology to find and identify misfolded protein biomarkers linked to NDDs. By using neural networks to quantify disease stages and progression, the study, which was just published in Science Advances, also makes use of artificial intelligence ( AI ). This important technological advancement has the potential to be used not only for the early detection and monitoring of NDDs but also for evaluating the available treatment options at different stages of the disease’s progression.
Due to the dearth of reliable diagnostic tools for early detection and tracking of disease progression, treating neurodegenerative diseases presents a significant challenge. A significant event in the progression of disease has been identified as protein misfolding, a common mechanism in neurodegeneration. According to one theory, healthy proteins first misfold into oligomers in the early stages of the disease and then into fibrils. The brain and biofluids carry these misfolded protein aggregates, which also build up as deposits in the brains of NDD patients who have passed away. But up until now, the creation of tools to identify these telltale signs of disease, known as biomarkers, has been elusive. Numerous obstacles stand in the way of precise detection, such as the limitations of current technology’s ability to precisely separate and quantify various protein aggregates.
combining various cutting-edge technologies into a single sensor
Researchers from the Bionanophotonic Systems Laboratory( BIOS ) and the Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Neuroproteomics( LMNN ) of Professor Hatice Altug and Professor Hilal Lashuel combined various fields of science, including protein biochemistry, optofluidics, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence ( AI ), to develop this cutting-edge NDD biomarker sensor. ” Our approach is focused on detecting their abnormal structures, in contrast to current biochemical approaches that rely on measuring the levels of these molecules.” According to Lashuel, this technology also enables us to distinguish between the levels of the two main abnormal forms, oligomers and fibrils, which are involved in the emergence and progression of NDDs.
Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption( SEIRA ) spectroscopy is a technology used by the ImmunoMEIRA sensor. This technique enables researchers to identify and evaluate the types of particular disease-associated molecules, or biomarkers, linked to neurodegenerative diseases. A special immunoassay that works like a molecular detective to precisely identify and capture these biomarkers is included with the sensor.
In our paper, we outline a technological solution that combines cutting-edge biochemical techniques with nanoplasmonics, cleanroom nanofabrication, microfluidic, immunoassay, and AI. Our ImmunoSEIRA sensor has high specificity and structural sensitivity when it monitors a panel of complementary biomarkers from small sample volumes in complex biomatrices.
PhD candidate and primary author of the paper, Deepthy Kavungal
combining the strength of artificial intelligence and nanotechnology
Gold nanorod arrays with antibodies are used in the ImmunoSEIRA sensor to detect specific proteins. It enables extremely small sample real-time specific capture and structural analysis of target biomarkers. The presence of particular misfolded protein forms, such as oligomeric and fibrillary aggregates, is then detected using neural networks, a subset of AI algorithms, at an unprecedented level of detection accuracy as the disease worsens. Since the disease process is closely related to changes in protein structure, Lashuel believes that this represents a significant advancement in disease detection. He continues,” We think that structural biomarkers, especially when integrated with other biochemical and neurodegeneration, could pave the way for more precise diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression.”
The ImmunoSEIRA sensor can be used in actual clinical settings, such as in biofluids, according to the EPFL research team. Even in complex fluids like human cerebrospinal fluid( CSF ), they were able to precisely identify the specific signature of abnormal fibrils, a crucial indicator of neurodegenerative diseases. The next step with this new technology, according to Professor Altug,” is to continue to expand its capabilities and evaluate its diagnostic potential in Parkinson’s disease and the growing number of diseases caused by protein misfolding and aggregation.”
In the fields of biosensing, infrared spectroscopy, nanophotonics, and biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, the findings of this study represent a significant advancement. In order to address the urgent need for prompt intervention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, the deployment of the AI-assisted ImmunoSEIRA sensor is a welcome advancement for early NDD detection, disease monitoring, and drug efficacy assessment.