Test using nanoparticles can replace CT scan
IIT Hyderabad sets gold test for brain
Hyderabad: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, have come upon a way to use gold nanoparticles to detect severity of brain injuries and monitor the progress of treatment. This technique can potentially replace the traditional CT or MRI scan for injuries and tumours.
The technique makes use of the interaction between an enzyme present in cerebrospinal fluid and gold nanoparticles. In the event of a brain injury, the enzyme UCH-L1 is released in the cerebrospinal fluid.
Scientists say that the amount of UCH-L1 in the cerebrospinal fluid indicates the severity of a brain injury and the reaction of gold nanoparticles with the released enzyme can provide information about the severity of brain injury.
Findings of the study were published by IIT-H doctoral student S. Agarwal as part of his doctoral thesis. It is part of a Rs 38-lakh project being undertaken by Dr Anindya Roy, assistant professor in the Department of Biotechnology at IIT-H and funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Union ministry of science and technology.
IIT-H researchers reported that an assay, primarily of gold nanoparticles and other chemicals, turned from blue to red upon reaction with the brain-secreted enzyme UCH-L1.
“Currently, the severity of brain injury is diagnosed using neuro-imaging such as CT scanning and MRI. But this simple and inexpensive biochemical assay that we developed might help physicians to quickly determine severity of the damage, monitor the progress of the treatment and ultimately predict the risk of death of patients,” Mr Agarwal said.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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