Upconversion nanoparticle-based optical biosensor for early diagnosis of stroke

目前，中风的诊断是通过身体检查和研究脑部扫描图像，以确定中风是由缺血（当堵塞切断对大脑的血液供应，如血栓）还是出血（大脑血管破裂并导致大脑内部出血）引起的。脑部扫描可以可靠地确认出血，但许多疑似缺血性中风的患者（高达40%）随后被证实有其他病理，如偏头痛。癫痫发作（脑卒中模拟）延迟转移到急性脑卒中单位进行早期干预和治疗。因此，迫切需要一种脑病（中风）的生物标志物，就像心脏病发作的生物标志物一样。目前用于检测蛋白质生物标志物的“金标准”技术复杂、耗时且需要自动化设备。因此，开发和验证一种快速诊断工具，用于在救护车和急诊科检测中风的血液生物标志物，这是非常重要的，因为急诊科的一个重要临床问题在于，需要对中风进行快速准确的诊断。在院前和急诊环境中，一种简单和免费的护理点（POC）生物标志物测试可以区分具有相似临床症状的卒中患者和非卒中患者，这对于有效的卒中管理和早期治疗至关重要。我们现在已经开发出一种原理验证的生物传感工具，用于快速分析人类血清中潜在的生物标志物。该项目侧重于开发和验证POC工具，用于中风特异性生物标志物的早期诊断，以快速识别中风患者。POC生物标志物评估可以在初始分诊时进行，避免将卒中患者运送到适当的护理中心的延误，从而加快对有风险的患者的治疗，从而改善患者的生存和生活质量。建议中风的非中风患者，从而改善中风患者流量和减少费用，以卫生保健组织。

Stroke is currently diagnosed by physical tests and studying images of brain scans to determine if the stroke has been caused by ischaemia (when a blockage cuts off the blood supply to the brain, e.g., blood clot) or a haemorrhage (blood vessel in the brain ruptures and causes bleeding inside the brain). Brain scans can reliably confirm bleeding, but many patients with suspected ischaemic stroke (up to 40%) are subsequently confirmed to have alternative pathologies e.g., migraine. seizures (stroke mimics) delaying transfer of stroke patients to acute stroke unit for early intervention and treatment. Thus, there is an urgent need for a biomarker for brain attack (stroke) just like there is one for heart attack. The current 'Gold Standard' technique for the detection of protein biomarkers is complex, time-consuming and requires automated equipment. Thus, it is important to develop and validate a rapid diagnostic tool for detection of blood biomarkers for stroke in the ambulance and Emergency Department, where a significant clinical problem lies i.e., the need to make a fastaccurate diagnosis of stroke. A simple and complimentary point of care (POC)biomarker test to differentiate stroke patients from non-stroke patients with similar clinical symptoms is essential in prehospital and emergency settings for efficient stroke management and early treatment. We have now developed a proof of principle biosensing tool for rapid analysis of potential biomarker in human blood serum. The proposed project focuses on the development and validation of a POC tool for early diagnosis of stroke-specific biomarkers to rapidly identify stroke patients. The POC biomarker assessment could be performed during initial triage avoiding delays in transporting stroke patients to appropriate care centres allowing expedited treatment to risk patients for better survival with improved quality of life. The proposed stroke of non stroke patients thus improving stroke patient flow and reducing expenses to the health care organisation.