Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease through the eyes and development of smartphone-based analysis technology
Nov 27, 2024
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A research team led by Professor Ji Yong-woo and Professor Ham Seung-joo of Yonsei University's Department of Chemical Biotechnology recently developed an eye-inserted artificial lens fluorescence sensor for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and a smartphone-based analysis technology that easily monitors it and verified long-term bio-efficacy.
Alzheimer's disease is a disease that causes a neuroinflammatory reaction by the abnormal accumulation of certain proteins in the brain and causes cognitive impairment such as memory loss. Once damaged, the brain is irreversible, and the best treatment is to slow the progression of the disease through early diagnosis and monitoring.
However, it is not easy to monitor repeatedly because invasive tests such as cerebrospinal fluid biopsy or expensive equipment such as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices must be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease.
The research team wanted to develop a diagnostic platform that can easily monitor Alzheimer's disease using ocular fluids (waterproofing) and artificial lenses. The background of the study was that brain disease-related proteins are likely to be detected in eyes directly connected to the central nervous system and that artificial lenses are often used in cataract surgery in the elderly who mainly develop Alzheimer's disease.
A diagnostic platform with hydrogel sensors attached to the surface of the artificial lens was made to express fluorescence signals in response to Alzheimer's disease-related proteins in waterproofing. Fluorescence signals appear gradually with protein concentration for continuous monitoring. The fluorescence sensor amplified the fluorescence signal using an optical structure of the structure 'Inverse Opal'.
The research team also developed an image analysis technology that amplifies the fluorescence signal of the artificial lens sensor through the development of smartphone coding. As a result of using the analysis technology, the fluorescence signal value was more than twice as clear as the previous one, making it possible to monitor visually.
The research team conducted various experiments to verify the sensing performance. Fluorescence signals from artificial lens sensors gradually increased for about 4 weeks against the target protein in an in vitro environment similar to waterproofing in the eye. In addition, as a result of pig eye experiments, the sensor operated in the biological eye and secured long-term efficacy in vivo.
Professor Ji Yong-woo said, "The diagnostic sensor developed through this study is meaningful in that it not only enables early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, but also enables long-term visual monitoring in vivo. We will commercialize the technology in the future and continue to research it to help actual patients by expanding it to other eye diseases or systemic diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.".
Meanwhile, the research was carried out by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Research Foundation's NanoConnect Support Project and Nanomaterial Technology Development Project in 2024, and the research results were recently published in the international journal Advanced Functional Materials in the field of materials research and technology.
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