Early non-invasive Alzheimer’s diagnosis possible with biosensor

About 47 million people globally are affected by Alzheimers, yet patients can only be diagnosed through behavioural and neuropsychiatric evaluations, and certainty can only be gained through brain analysis post mortem.
Researchers at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) have developed a new contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on the functionalisation of magnetic nanoparticles with an antibody that recognises ferritin. This could work as a biomarker for an early diagnosis of this disease. The technique is about detecting accumulations of iron and ferritin in the brain around the amyloid plaques and the researchers had to develop contract agents that can increase the sensitivity for detecting the accumulations because MRI techniques are only able to detect the deposits when there is a lot of them, making early detection difficult.
Dr Milagros Ramos, leader of the group, said: “The accumulation of functionalised nanoparticles in the specific area cause a significant decrease in certain values obtained through magnetic resonance, this indicates that the new contrast agent can be useful in the future for an early and non-invasive diagnosis of this pathology through magnetic resonance”.