Nanoparticles for the Detection of Alzheimer's Disease Through Magnetic Resonance Imaging

A study published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience describes a new biosensor under development that could be used for early non-invasive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using magnetic resonance imaging, reports Medical Xpress . The team characterized the presence of accumulated iron and the iron-storing protein ferritin in a hippocampal area of transgenic mice for Alzheimer's disease. These accumulations are seen around the amyloid plaques, and the contrast agent is based on the functionalization of magnetic particles with an antibody that identifies ferritin. The team demonstrated that, via histological analysis, the new nanoconjugate binds to the ferritin accrual in a specific way in transgenic mice for Alzheimer's disease. "The accumulation of functionalized nanoparticles in the specific area cause a significant decrease in certain values obtained through magnetic resonance, this indicates that the new contrast agent can be useful in the future for an early and non-invasive diagnosis of this pathology through magnetic resonance," says Milagros Ramos from the Center for Biomedical Technology.