Visual technique to detect misfolded proteins could aid early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases
Researchers from ECE and the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences recently developed a visual diagnostic technique named Cap-QuIC (Capillary-enhanced Quaking-Induced Conversion) that can be used to detect neurodegenerative diseases that affect both humans and animals. Details of the research are published in npj Biosensing, a Nature journal, under the title, “Visual detection of misfolded alpha-synuclein and prions via capillary-based quaking-induced conversion assay (Cap-QuIC).”
The new technique extends the development of the rapid detection technique for neurodegenerative diseases that the team had previously developed, which was a breakthrough in itself. The accumulation of misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins is characteristic of many neurodegenerative diseases. Parkinson’s disease in humans and chronic wasting disease in deer are some examples.
Currently, early diagnosis of such diseases depends on expensive equipment, and most diagnoses often occur when patients exhibit external symptoms which typically happen when the disease has advanced. At that point treatment options and their impact are limited.
However, the Cap-QuIC method eliminates the need for such equipment as it relies on visual inspection of the biological samples using glass capillaries. There are significant differences between the surface characteristics of healthy and misfolded proteins which are apparent when observing the movement of the liquid samples in the capillaries. The differences in sample behavior was first noticed by Peter Christenson, ECE graduate and postdoctoral researcher with McKnight Professor and Bordeau Chair Sang-Hyun Oh. The Cap-QuIC method is a significant advancement in neurodegenerative disease diagnosis and has the potential for early diagnosis, intervention, and effective management of such diseases.
The paper was authored by Peter Christenson, Hyejeong Jeong, Hyerin Ahn, Professors Sang-Hyun Oh and Hyeyoon Park (all from ECE) and Manci Li, Gage Rowden, Rachel Shoemaker, and Professor Peter Larsen (all from the department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities).
Hyeonjeong Jeong, second author of the paper and ECE doctoral student will present this work at the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) conference later this year and has previously received an award for this research.
This story was previously covered in detail by the College of Science and Engineering. For funding and other details please read the full story covered by the College.
Read the research paper at the npj Biosensing website.