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Descrizione
Early diagnosis can significantly improve the prognosis of severe diseases such as neurodegenerations. In collaboration with the research groups of Dr. Pappalardo (CNR-IC Catania) [1] and Dr. Scalese (CNR-IMM Catania) [2] and within the SAMOTHRACE project, a supramolecular KLVFF/graphene oxide/cyclodextrin assembly was developed for the selective recognition of amyloid β 42 peptide [3] which is a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease. This material was integrated into screen-printed gold electrodes for miniaturized electrochemical analyses exploiting the ferrocene-KLVFF conjugate as probe. Despite the innovative approach and the promising results from the cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique, there is still room for sensibility improvement passing from the current μM to pM/nM range. Electrode optimization in terms of morphology, configuration, functionalization extent and fabrication could: i) increase the coating and reduce the variability at the diffusion layer, ii) improve stability, short- and long-term repeatability, iii) enable more sensitive techniques such as differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). Improvements like these would bring the TRL more close to a real biosensor for neurodegeneration. Furthermore, tailoring the functionalization of ferrocene with different targeting units may enable the detection of other biomarkers for more precise and accurate diagnostics considering the multifactorial nature of such complex diseases. In this context, a research opportunity could be the development of an array of biosensors targeting different biomarkers to assess the neurodegeneration state. This project would exploit the consolidated and emerging competences within our institute in terms of nanofabrication, surface characterization, electrochemistry, microfluidics and microscopy. The proposed design is a device made of an array of electrochemical cells fabricated by lithography and interconnected via a microfluidic system. Assisted by advanced thin layer deposition approaches, each working electrode is functionalized with ferrocene-ligand probes designed for different biomarkers of neurodegeneration exploiting the previously reported supramolecular approach [3]. Following an in-dept study of chemical interactions in a controlled colloidal environment (UV/Vis, CD, FT-IR, Raman, NMR spectroscopies, X-Ray scattering and DLS analysis) the functionalized platform will be characterized before and after the interaction with the biomarker by complementary surface techniques such as scanning probe and electron microscopies coupled with FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies, XPS and ToF-SIMS. The sensing performances and the more appropriate electrochemical technique will be evaluated in spiked solutions. Once that the device has reached sufficient maturity, future tests in relevant and operational environments could be considered in a collateral project following the approvals form ethic and regulatory committees for the use of real samples coming from patients or in vivo neurodegeneration models.
[1] Mazzaglia A, Di Natale G, et al. KLVFF oligopeptide-decorated amphiphilic cyclodextrin nanomagnets for selective amyloid beta recognition and fishing. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2022; 613:814-826. 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.01.051
[2] Scuderi V, Turnaturi R, et al. KLVFF Functionalized Graphene Oxide for Aβ42 Peptide Electrical Detection: A Promising Nanomaterial for the Development of Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostic Devices. Small. 2026; 21:2503488. 10.1002/smll.202503488
[3] Nocito G, Scuderi V, et al. A supramolecular KLVFF/graphene oxide/cyclodextrin assembly for selective recognition of amyloid β 42 peptide. Int. J. Biol. Macrom. 2026; 372:153002. 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.153002
| Giovane Ricercatore (under 40) | Yes |
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