Marta Pereira Morais.<\/p>\n
(Phys.org) Scientists from our Departments of Biology & Biochemistry and Chemistry have developed a new technique that could be used in blood tests to detect a range of age-related conditions such as diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer's.<\/p>\n
In the process of ageing, proteins in the body react with sugars in a process called glycation. This damages the protein's function which in some diseases can trigger complications such as inflammation and premature aging. <\/p>\n
The team of chemists and biochemists at Bath have developed a technique that detects levels of glycated proteins in blood and tissue samples, which can be used to assess the damage caused by sugars in age-related diseases. <\/p>\n
The technique, published today in the Nature Group journal Scientific Reports, is based on gel electrophoresis, where samples are put into a thin gel layer and an electric current is applied. The gel acts like a molecular sieve, sorting proteins from the samples according to their size and shape, allowing scientists to identify whether specific proteins are present in the sample. <\/p>\n
The system, patented by the research team, uses boronic acid labelled with a fluorescent tag to distinguish between the glycated and unmodified proteins. The method also, allows them to distinguish glycated proteins from proteins that have been glycosylated; a normal process in healthy cells where sugars are added using enzymes. <\/p>\n
Researchers are now looking for industrial partners to collaborate and develop the system to detect levels of glycated proteins in human blood samples, leading to a simple test for a variety of age-related diseases. <\/p>\n
Dr Jean Van Den Elsen, from the University's Department of Biology & Biochemistry, explained: \"We are currently using our technique to understand how these age-related diseases work, by identifying new biomarkers for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and testing how new treatments affect levels of glycated proteins. <\/p>\n
Marta Pereira Morais, the post-doctoral researcher on the project added: \"So far we've proven this test is able to detect glycated proteins in blood and in a caterpillar model for diabetes. We have also been able to distinguish between brain material from healthy mice and those with AD pathology. <\/p>\n
\"We hope in the future to develop this technology into a simple blood test for diseases such as AD, so that patients with the condition can be diagnosed and treated earlier.\"<\/p>\n
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\nNew technique detecting 'sugar-coated' proteins could identify diseases earlier<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"