Description:
Reference #: 01442
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Cell-based biosensor for early Alzheimer's disease detection
Background:
Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Early Alzheimer’s disease detection is needed for effective therapy due to the irreversible death of neurons. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by deposition of amyloid-beta protein in the brain, and thus the amyloid-beta protein has been proposed as a disease biomarker. However, early detection of this biomarker has proven ineffective with traditional biochemical measurements due to the challenge of detecting small quantities of physiologically active amyloid-beta in the presence of much larger quantities of inactive amyloid-beta protein.
Invention Description:
This invention will provide a means for affordable, early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. We have identified a unique cellular response to the pathogenic form of amyloid-beta. A cell-based biosensor will leverage this response for detection of the disease by determining if the pathogenic form of the amyloid-beta protein is present in the cerebral spinal fluid or blood of a patient.
Potential Applications:
Currently, there is no biomarker-based test to provide definitive diagnosis at early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Current diagnostics rely on expensive imaging techniques that detect brain amyloid-beta deposition or associated brain atrophy, events that occur at later disease stages. Evidence has shown that an early diagnosis would lead to more effective treatments in part as a result of the irreversible death of neurons. According to the 2019 Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures Report, an early diagnostic tool could result in an estimated cost savings of 7.9 trillion dollars for the current US population.
Advantages and Benefits:
The invention will provide early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, in contrast to the later detection provided by current MRI and PET techniques. In addition, this cerebral spinal fluid- or blood-based detection will be at a lower cost than these clinically available imaging techniques.