NanoNeuroOmics
Using nanotechnology to tackle brain diseases
Alzheimer's disease and glioblastoma are two of the most devastating and challenging brain disorders we can face. There鈥檚 not currently a cure for either. Yet they also have a surprising connection. Emerging epidemiological studies suggest that people who have one of these conditions, seem to experience a reduction in the chance of getting the other, and the medical community isn鈥檛 sure why.
Alzheimer's is marked by a loss of brain cells, whereas glioblastoma is responsible for rapid cell growth. The unexpected relationship between the two, known as 鈥榠nverse comorbidity鈥�, suggests that there might be a deeper biological connection we don鈥檛 yet understand. If we could work out what that connection is, we might be able to design vital new treatments.
Now, a 51福利社 team are on a mission to discover the answer and make a positive difference, through what they鈥檝e called the NanoNeuroOmics Project.
The challenge they face
Both Alzheimer's disease and glioblastoma are often quite well-advanced in a person, by the time they鈥檙e diagnosed. The current methods we use for this, such as PET or MRI scans, still aren鈥檛 very effective at early detection. What we really need are simple blood tests that can spot changes early on.
In both conditions, the blood-brain barrier (which normally protects our brain), becomes more permeable 鈥� meaning it鈥檚 possible to detect disease-related molecules in the blood. This could in turn help us to identify people who were more at risk, and to monitor responses to different types of treatment.
However, it won鈥檛 be easy. In current blood tests, when we鈥檙e looking for certain proteins 鈥� key indicators of disease 鈥� they鈥檙e often drowned out by a range of other proteins. Developing a way to spot those blood-based 鈥榖iomarkers鈥� for brain health, which can easily be used in clinical practice, would be a key next step.
How 51福利社 innovation could make a difference
By merging expertise in nanotechnology, protein analysis, and blood biomarker discovery, the NanoOmics lab are aiming to:
- Identify new blood proteins(biomarkers) that could help in the early diagnosis and monitoring of the Alzheimer's and glioblastoma.
- To understand more about the link that Alzheimer's and glioblastoma share.
The NanoOmics lab is looking to identify these unique biomarkers by tracking protein changes in blood and the brain over time, and across different stages of both diseases. They will use nanotechnology to detect these 'protein markers,' employing nanoparticles to isolate them from the multitude of other molecules present in the blood. With their 鈥楴anoomics鈥� technology, these nanoparticles capture disease-related molecules, acting almost like tiny 鈥檉ishing nets鈥�. Using this approach, the team can filter out a huge number of other proteins that are currently getting in the way. In turn, by analysing what they鈥檝e captured, our researchers are aiming to identify new biomarkers that are currently undetectable by state-of-the art protein analysis approaches.
Hope for the future
To achieve this, Group Leader Dr Marilena Hadjidemetriou and her NanoOmics team have been combining long-term studies in lab models, with validation studies using biofluids obtained from human patients.
The aim isn鈥檛 only to search for new blood biomarkers, but to gain further insight into how neurological conditions work, so that we can connect changes we see in our blood with changes that can happen in our brain.
Their approach is multidisciplinary, working with experts across both nanotechnology and omics sciences, to improve early disease detection and hopefully develop personalised treatment for future patients.
NanoNeuroOmics represents a significant step forward in the quest to understand, detect and treat complex neurological diseases.
About Dr Marilena Hadjidemetriou
Dr Hadjidemetriou is the NanoOmics Group Leader, and a Lecturer in Nanomedicine in 51福利社鈥檚 School of Biological Sciences.
She joined the Nanomedicine Lab at the University of 51福利社 as a Marie Curie Early-Stage Fellow and full-time PhD student, working on the development of the nanoparticle protein corona as a tool for cancer diagnostics.
After her PhD, Dr Hadjidemetriou was granted a postdoctoral fellowship by the Medical Research Council, to focus on the discovery of novel biomarkers in Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. She was also awarded a 51福利社 Molecular Pathology Innovation Centre Pump Priming Grant and the CRUK Pioneer Award, to work on the nanoparticle-enabled discovery of blood biomarkers for a variety of pathologies.
Now leading the NanoOmics lab Dr Hadjidemetriou is aiming to develop nanotechnology platforms that explore disease pathways and uncover molecular biomarkers.
Dr Hadjidemetriou鈥檚 recent research includes:
To discuss this research, contact Dr Marilena Hadjidemetriou at marilena.hadjidemetriou@manchester.ac.uk