New smart technology can make diagnosis of AD more accessible

Scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have developed a smart fluorescence lifetime-responsive probe named TZ-48 and a smartphone-integrated platform called ADxFluor for the detection of amyloid-β (Aβ), a core biomarker for Alzheimer's disease (AD). TZ-48 undergoes changes in fluorescence intensity upon interacting with Aβ, which are captured and quantified using a dedicated smartphone application. The probe exhibits blood-brain barrier permeability, labels Aβ plaques in transgenic AD mouse brains, and detects Aβ in cerebrospinal fluid and blood serum. This technology offers a simple, cost-effective, and portable point-of-care diagnostic system as an alternative to expensive methods like PET and MRI.