Ifeachor, Professor E
University of Plymouth
United Kingdom
Novel Point-of-Care Diagnostic Techniques for Dementia
EPSRC
1,339,673
01/02/2015
3.0
Alzheimer's disease & other dementias
Neurodegenerative disease in general
The aim of this proposal is to create a new way, using multiplex graphene-based biosensors, for the detection of biomarkers found in biological fluids (e.g. blood, CSF, urine and saliva)
in the early stages of dementia (with emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease) and changes in levels with disease progression.
A generic, Point-of-Care (POC) biosensor technology, based on graphene transducers, has already been developed by one of the project partners and demonstrated for
the detection of several disease biomarkers. Unlike existing analytical approaches, the sensor is a rapid diagnostic platform, yielding real-time data and a conclusive test
result within minutes of the sample being taken. The idea is to combine this with novel electronic multiplex techniques and large area graphene to create a multiplexed
biosensor array technology to enable the detection of multiple biomarkers of dementia simultaneously with the potential to significantly increase throughput.
An objective of the project is to demonstrate a novel, low-cost, reliable, POC diagnostic platform, based on multiplex graphene biosensors, for early detection of
dementia and following its progression from biological fluid such as blood.
The development of a low cost, point-of-care biosensing technology that makes it possible to detect dementia, objectively, in the early stages and to
monitor disease progression, rapidly, from a simple blood test would revolutionise diagnosis of dementia and have a huge positive impact on the selection of
subjects for clinical trials for new drugs and for monitoring response to treatment.