DEVELOPMENT OF LATERAL FLOW AND MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES FOR APPLICATION IN DETERMINING BIOMARKERS OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

• Grant number: 24/07469-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Campos Janegitz
• Grantee: Jefferson Henrique de Souza Carvalho
• Supervisor: Arben Merkoci
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 20/11336-3 - New immunosensor platforms for detection of biomarkers of the disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, BP.DD

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases represent a global concern that has gained greater prominence in recent years. Its ability to generate progressive loss of neurons in the nervous system and the impossibility of a cure are the greatest difficulties when imagining a better quality of life for patients affected by this disease. Among the most common degenerative diseases are Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, each presenting characteristic symptoms. Early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases is challenging, often occurring only in advanced or post-mortem stages, which contributes to rapid progression and limits possible therapies. In this sense, the need to find ways to detect biomarkers for these diseases before the first signs of symptoms is necessary. Among these biomarkers are the main ones such as TDP-43, ²-amyloid, Tau and phosphorylated Tau protein, dopaminergic compounds (dopamine and L-dopa), and ±-synuclein, among others that are less known. An alternative is the development of versatile, cheap and reproducible point-of-care devices. These devices have gained interest in recent years due to their diagnostic potential in various sectors, mainly of clinical interest. Among its advantages, its versatility stands out, its ability to determine biomarkers for a wide range of diseases, its application without the need for specialized equipment or personnel, but mainly its simplicity of handling and relatively low cost. Complementary to this, devices such as lateral flow assays or microfluidic systems emerge as alternatives that can be adapted to specific needs, that is, they can be portable, disposable, wearable, reproducible, as well as generating diagnostic evidence quickly. Versatility in the construction of these devices becomes even more important given society's need for technologies that are easy to use, in real-time and at the moment needed. In this sense, lateral flow testing and microfluidic systems, using relatively low-cost materials such as metallic nanoparticles or carbon allotropes, filter paper or cellulose derivatives and electrochemical electrodes printed in 3D from filaments made in the laboratory, are possible platforms that corroborate the search for POC applied in the determination of biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases.