Single-molecule detection of α-Synuclein oligomers in Parkinson's disease patients using nanopores
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is an intrinsically disordered protein whose aggregation in the brain has been significantly implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD). Beyond the brain, oligomers of α-Synuclein are also found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood, where the analysis of these aggregates may provide diagnostic routes and enable a better understanding of disease mechanisms. However, detecting α-Syn in CSF and blood is challenging due to its heterogeneous protein size and shape, and low abundance in clinical samples. Nanopore technology offers a promising route for the detection of single proteins in solution; however, the method often lacks the necessary selectivity in complex biofluids, where multiple background biomolecules are present. We address these limitations by developing a strategy that combines nanopore-based sensing with molecular carriers that can specifically capture α-Syn oligomers with sizes of less than 20 nm. We demonstrate that α-Synuclein oligomers can be detected directly in clinical samples, with minimal sample processing, by their ion current characteristics and successfully utilize this technology to differentiate cohorts of PD patients from healthy controls. The measurements indicate that detecting α-Syn oligomers present in CSF may potentially provide valuable insights into the progression and monitoring of Parkinson's disease.
Date Issued
2023-11-28
Date Acceptance
2023-10-26
Citation
ACS Nano, 2023, 17 (22), pp.22999-23009
ISSN
1936-0851
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
22999
End Page
23009
Journal / Book Title
ACS Nano
Volume
17
Issue
22
Copyright Statement
© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under
CC-BY 4.0.
CC-BY 4.0.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37947369
Subjects
alpha-Synuclein
Brain
Humans
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins
Nanopores
Parkinson Disease
carrier
cerebrospinal fluid
nanopore
neurodegeneration
Parkinson’s disease
protein aggregation
single-molecule
α-Synuclein oligomers
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2023-11-10