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HKBU’s new nanomaterial could enable early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

30 Oct 2018

Professor Wong Man-shing (right), Dr Li Hung-wing (second from left) and their team members.
Professor Wong Man-shing (right), Dr Li Hung-wing (second from left) and their team members.
Near-infrared imaging of the brain of normal (upper row) and Alzheimer’s-affected mice (bottom row) before and after injection of the new nanomaterial. The red colour indicates the presence of senile plaques.
Near-infrared imaging of the brain of normal (upper row) and Alzheimer’s-affected mice (bottom row) before and after injection of the new nanomaterial. The red colour indicates the presence of senile plaques. 
Magnetic resonance images (upper row) and the respective colour mapped images (bottom row) of Alzheimer’s-affected mice before (left column) and after (right column) injection of the nanomaterial. The presence of senile plaques (bottom right corner) decreases the contrast.
Magnetic resonance images (upper row) and the respective colour mapped images (bottom row) of Alzheimer’s-affected mice before (left column) and after (right column) injection of the nanomaterial. The presence of senile plaques (bottom right corner) decreases the contrast.

Researchers from HKBU have discovered a new nanomaterial which could enable the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Non-toxic and sensitive to detection, the new material can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier, enabling clear imaging – and detection – of the protein plaques which cause Alzheimer’s disease. The nanomaterial also shows a potent neuroprotective effect against the toxic protein. The team is jointly led by Professor Ricky Wong Man-shing and Associate Professor Dr Li Hung-wing from the Department of Chemistry at HKBU. The new nanomaterial could also be used to monitor the progression of the disease and the effectiveness of potential drugs. The study is published in the journal Small, and the discovery has already been granted a US patent. 

 

For more details, please refer to: https://cpro.hkbu.edu.hk/en/press_release/detail/HKBUs-new-nanomaterial-could-enable-early-detection-and-diagnosis-of-Alzheimers-disease/