Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major global challenge facing today’s medicine and society because of its increasing incidence and strong social and economic costs. For optimal AD management and treatment, there is an urgent need for the development of diagnostic tools for early and accurate diagnosis of AD. Current research reveals that changes in the levels of protein biomarkers associated with AD pathogenesis begin as early as decades before clinical symptoms. Thus, intensive efforts have been made to discover diagnostic biomarkers for the early detection of AD. These studies, however, are often limited by the availability of suitable antibodies for the recognition of newly identified diagnostic biomarkers and the low concentrations of such AD biomarkers in biological fluids. The aim of this project is to design and develop novel biomimetic nanomaterials capable of protein recognition that will enable the discovery of new AD biomarkers and the development of innovative electrochemical and optical sensing platforms for their early detection. In the last decade, significant progress has been made in the bottom-up fabrication of well-defined biomimetic receptorsfor the detection of chemical and biological substances by using different recognition modes. In this project, we will develop a general and robust methodology for the generation of supramolecular abiotic systems based on multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs) for the recognition of proteins. New functionalities will be generated by transforming the unique optical and electrical properties of gold and silica NPs and supramolecular recognition systems into smart interfaces properties. Direction and emphasis will be focused on the interactions occurring at the interface between the functional groups on the NPs surface and the proteins. This will allow us to explore the formation of unprecedent protein corona around the biomimetic NPs that will enable the discovery of novel protein biomarkers for AD in blood. In parallel, biomimetic NPs for the selective recognition of the target protein will be fabricated by templating the assembly of molecular building blocks on the NP surface with the protein, acting as a template. Another novel aspect of this project will be the development of novel sustainable optical and electrochemical sensing platforms based on the biomimetic NPs for in-situ detection of protein biomarkers for AD in biological fluids. We will use printing manufacturing as an effective technology for the fabrication of low-cost, miniaturized, and “green” microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (PADs) integrated with the biomimetic NPs. The coupling of the biomimetic PADs within a portable smartphone-based devices for optical and electrochemical readout will enable the facile translation of laboratory devices to the clinical practice for addressing the priority needs in personalized diagnostics and therapy monitoring at the point of care.
Scientific coordinator for the Department
Prof. Mara Mirasoli (local coordinator)
Partnership
Università degli Studi di PADOVA
Università degli Studi di MILANO-BICOCCA
Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II