Magnetite nanoparticles surface functionalization with P-Tau181 antibodies.

• Grant number: 22/13177-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Noronha Lisboa Filho
• Grantee: Samuel de Mattos Alves
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most frequent neurodegenerative disorder worldwide and is especially aggressive in patients aged 65 years and over. Due to the current lack of satisfactorily effective drugs, particularly in advanced stages, early diagnosis has been consolidated as an essential tool to fight against the disease already in its prodromal phase. Thus, physiological indicators such as amyloid-beta (A²) and tau protein are used as biomarkers and can be found both in cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma in different arrangements. One of these isoforms is tau protein phosphorylated on threonine 181, or P-tau181, which can be found in low concentrations in plasma but has an interesting diagnostic potential for AD. Some means to enhance the detection of this and several other biomarkers take into account the use of metallic nanoparticles of compounds such as magnetite, which has physical and chemical properties that help to isolate this protein in plasma through guidance by magnetic fields. These nanoparticles, however, need an antibody coating on their surface so that they can specifically bind to P-tau181 and, in this way, provide a better separation of these proteins from others. In summary, the present study aims to evaluate the adsorption of P-tau181 antibodies on metallic nanoparticles in in vitro models to isolate this biomarker by magnetic separation in the future.