Iron disorders detected by a nanoscale bio-probe

A nanoscale bio-probe that allows researchers to examine iron disorders in tissue, body fluids and cells down to one/one-thousandth of a millimolar, has been developed by an Australian post-graduate. The test has been described as more specific and sensitive compared to current blood testing methods used to detect iron disorders.

The test uses novel carbon-based fluorescent bio-nanoprobe technology, involving non-invasive injections to allow for a more accurate diagnosis of the disease before the start of symptoms; therefore, preventing other severe illnesses.

Researchers tested the nanoprobe on pig skin, and outcomes revealed that it outperformed current methods for deep tissue imaging and penetrated biological tissue to measurements of two-hundred and eighty micrometres. Furthermore, the nanoprobe remained detectable at lengths of up to three-thousand micrometres in synthetic tissue; the research is published in the Applied Materials & Interfaces journal.

Pooria Lesani, bio-probe developer and a PhD candidate from the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Research Unit and the ARC Centre for Innovative BioEngineering, stated: “More than thirty per cent of the world’s population lives with an iron imbalance, which over time can lead to certain forms of cancer, as well Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease. Current testing methods can be complex and time-consuming; to counter this, and to enable the early detection of serious diseases, we have developed a hypersensitive and cost-efficient skin testing technique for detecting iron in the body’s cells and tissue. Our most recent testing demonstrated a rapid detection of free iron ions with remarkably high sensitivity. Iron could be detected at concentrations in the parts per billion range, a rate 10 times smaller than previous nanoprobes. Our sensor is multifunctional and could be applied to deep-tissue imaging involving a small probe that can visualise structure of complex biological tissues and synthetic scaffolds. We hope to integrate the nanoprobe into a “lab on a chip” sensing system, a portable diagnostic blood testing tool which could allow clinicians to remotely monitor their patient’s health. “Lab on a chip” systems are relatively simple to operate and require only small blood volume samples from the patient to gain an accurate insight of potential ferric ion disorders in the body, assisting early intervention and prevention of disease.”