Dr Sudha Mokkapati, a physicist from Hyderabad, working at Monash Engineering, has developed a groundbreaking device for early Alzheimer’s Disease screening. This credit-card-sized tool, which uses a simple finger-prick blood test, could revolutionise early diagnosis by detecting biomarkers before symptoms appear. With a PhD from the Australian National University and extensive experience in semiconductor and optoelectronic devices, Dr Mokkapati’s innovative work includes developing advanced photon management and nanowire technologies. She discusses her pioneering Alzheimer’s detection device with The Indian Sun.
Could you explain how your innovative finger-prick blood test for Alzheimer’s Disease works and how it differs from current screening methods?
We have developed a tiny electronic sensor that can detect any light of interest at extremely small quantities. We try to do lots of consultations with people to identify the areas where we could generate most impact. Through these, we noticed that there were so many activities happening in the Alzheimer’s space and there are no accessible tools for early detection or early diagnosis. That’s when we thought we might try and use our devices for early detection or early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
With Alzheimer’s what is happening is we already have known biomarkers (molecules that are present in human body in some form that indicate the presence of a particular condition or disease). So, we already have biomarkers for Alzheimer’s, but the current diagnostic methods cannot be used until symptoms have shown, which often maybe too late.
And then interestingly, very recently FDA had approved two drugs which are known to slow down the disease progression, which means that early detection or early diagnosis is very timely now. Because if we catch the disease very early, there is a possibility that we could use these drugs to slow down the progression of the disease and this will be a proper disease management tool.
What inspired you to focus on developing this portable Alzheimer’s test, and how does your background in semiconductor and optoelectronic devices contribute to this breakthrough?
Very good question. When we started this research, we did not set out to find a diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s. We were interested in making extremely sensitive sensors and the sensors that we have made are electronic devices. These are the devices that I have worked on throughout my career. So we developed an electronic sensor and it just so happened that it can be used to detect biomarkers. When we realised that this can be so much useful in detecting diseases and it could affect so many lives, we decided to test it out for this purpose.
So, can you describe the process and technology behind detecting ultra-low concentrations of disease markers in blood?
Like I said these are tiny electronic sensors which cannot be seen by the naked eye which needs accessories to drive small amounts of currents through the sensor. If something sticks to the surface of the sensor, the currents flowing through it change. So, what we do is we modify the surface of the sensor so that nothing but what we want to detect can stick there. When we put a drop of blood, if there are biomarkers that we are interested in detecting are present in the drop they stick to the surface of the sensor, the currents change, and we get the signal. But if these biomarkers are not present in the blood, then nothing happens to the sensor and the signal does not change. It’s essentially surface science.
At what stage of the project are you in and when will it be rolled out?
We have tested our sensors for lots of different things. We have published some of the results, but some results are confidential still. We have confidence in the performance of the sensor but if we want to bring out something in the, say, bio side or tech side, we need to go through clinical trials first and there are lots of approval processes. And then we need to manufacture these sensors as well on a large scale to distribute or market them. So these are the next steps – clinical tests, validation, approvals and manufacturing.
How do you see this changing the landscape of Alzheimer’s disease treatment?
This is going to be impactful because currently people go for diagnostic test only after symptoms show and these diagnostic tests are usually brain scans and imaging. They involve exposure to radiation, and these are not accessible to everyone. You need to have access to specialist facilities, and it costs a couple of thousand dollars for each scan and, perhaps, a few days to get your results out. There is anther way to get tested for Alzheimer’s, where they puncture your spine and extract cerebrospinal fluid, and they test for exactly these biomarkers. The reason they need to use cerebrospinal fluid is because the concentration of biomarkers is higher there than in blood. So, if we can do all of this without pain in a few minutes and it costs you a couple of 100 dollars, then life becomes so much easier. People can go tested for it even before symptoms show and then seek their GPS for advice, try to change their lifestyle. The impact is going to be huge.
With dementia diagnoses expected to double by 2054, how critical do you think this technology will be in addressing the growing challenge of Alzheimer’s disease?
We have to distinguish between dementia and Alzheimer’s. The biomarkers that we are targeting is for Alzheimer’s. Dementia is when you start forgetting things and there are many causes to dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease is the main cause for dementia. Sixty percent of the dementia case are because of Alzheimer’s.
With dementia diagnoses expected to double by 2054 and a growing ageing population, it is going to be a huge burden on the healthcare sector for any government. So if we are able to diagnose Alzheimer’s very early on and manage the condition properly, we can reduce the number of severe dementia or Alzheimer’s cases. That in turn will reduce the financial strain on the healthcare system.
How long was this project in the making, and what were some of the challenges you faced?
Challenge is always funding. We are looking for investors. We have been working on this project for four to five years now.
What are the next steps for this test before it can be widely used in GP practices? How will this technology be implemented?
We must be cautious about how we use this technology. I believe a nationwide screening program could be beneficial. For instance, inviting people aged 50-54 to visit their GP for a blood test could help identify those at higher risk of dementia, allowing for lifestyle advice and early intervention. However, some experts caution against widespread home use of these devices, as it could lead to unnecessary panic. If individuals were to buy these devices from a pharmacy and test themselves without guidance, they might be left unsure of how to interpret or act on the results. Conducting these tests under expert supervision at a GP’s office ensures proper advice and reduces potential anxiety. Careful, supervised population screening seems to be the best approach for rolling out these devices.
The good thing with this device is you don’t need any specialist expertise to operate it, we can digitise the signal and let people know whether they are in the low risk or high-risk category. It’s easy to use. In principle, yes, you could buy it off the chemist and it depends on the approvals we get but we strongly recommend against that.
What’s the expected timeframe for this device to hit the market?
It’s hard to pinpoint an exact timeframe, but it could be a few years. The timeline depends on funding—if we get lots and lots of funding, we might be able to bring it to market sooner.
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Dr Sudha Mokkapati’s innovative finger-prick test for early #Alzheimer’s detection could transform diagnosis. 🧠🔬 With a credit-card-sized device, it detects biomarkers before symptoms. Curious about this breakthrough? Discover more. 💡🩺🌟 #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/Pai56Bj1zN
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