JNCASR scientists develop smartphone-based diagnostic system for detection of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioural impairment.

Scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have developed a low-cost, user-friendly point-of-care diagnostic system for the detection of Alzheimer’s.

The system uses a smartphone-enabled platform employing a fluorescence-responsive tiny molecule to help in the detection of the Alzheimer’s biomarker amyloid-β (Aβ).

Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioural impairment.

Central to its pathology is the misfolding and aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ), which self-assembles into fibrils and deposits as extracellular plaques that trigger neurotoxic cascades leading to synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration.

The National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association framework identifies Aβ, tau, and neurodegeneration as core biomarkers for definitive Alzheimer’s diagnosis across the brain, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood.

According to the Department of Science and Technology, Aβ pathology is an early Alzheimer’s disease-specific biomarker, making Aβ a more reliable diagnostic indicator.

“Although positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging provide valuable diagnostic information, their high cost, need for specialised infrastructure, technical expertise, and limited accessibility restrict widespread use. Blood-based assays targeting Aβ and tau have emerged as promising alternatives, but are expensive and complex. These limitations highlight the need for simple, sensitive, and scalable diagnostic platforms capable of the early and accurate detection of Aβ for diagnosis,” it said.

The scientists have developed a smart fluorescence lifetime-responsive probe that enables highly selective, sensitive, and differential detection of Aβ fibrils (Aβf) through turn-on fluorescence and distinct lifetime signatures.

“Upon interaction with Aβ, the tiny molecule called TZ-48 undergoes changes in fluorescence intensity, which are captured and quantified using a dedicated smartphone application. This enables rapid and user-friendly detection, with potential applications in the screening and staging of the disease,” the department said.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy has emerged as a powerful sensing modality because fluorescence lifetime is largely independent of probe concentration and photobleaching, enabling the robust detection of biomarkers and enhancing diagnostic precision.

A team of scientists comprising Krithi K. Bhagavath, Madhu Ramesh, Yogendra Kumar, Sabyasachi Mandal, Hiriyakkanavar Ila, and Thimmaiah Govindaraju developed ADxFluor, a smartphone-integrated platform that leverages the fluorescence response of TZ-48 for rapid, unbiased quantification of serum Aβ load.

The system combines dual-mode brain imaging, biofluid detection, and smartphone-based quantification of Aβ in biofluids, establishing it, along with ADxFluor, a smartphone-integrated platform, as a foundation for next-generation smart diagnostics for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.