New immunosensor platforms for detection of biomarkers of the disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

• Grant number: 20/11336-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Campos Janegitz
• Grantee: Jefferson Henrique de Souza Carvalho
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing number of studies on neurodegenerative diseases and their severe symptom signs in patients. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is one of the four best-known neurodegenerative diseases that affects motor neurons, receiving that name for presenting a rigid and painful degeneration in the upper and lower motor neurons. The reason why the disease manifests itself is still uncertain, being possible to diagnose it after years of the first signs of symptoms of the patients. In this sense, the antioxidant protein superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and the protein TDP-43 are potential biomarkers for obtaining a possible early diagnosis of ALS. In this context, new biosensor platforms become important, capable of detecting and quantifying proteins, enzymes, antibodies, etc. Thus, this doctoral project presents proposals of biosensors for the diagnosis of ALS biomarkers, prepared from new conductive inks based on carbon nanotubes and/or microfluidic paper-based devices with conductive three-dimensional electrodes based on carbon allotropes. Given this type of analysis, it is expected to produce devices for the detection with relatively low cost, sensitive, simple and fast responses and with less residues generation. (AU)