JNCASR researchers are developing a smartphone-based diagnostic system to detect Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss, cognitive impairment, and behavioral impairment.

Scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have developed a low-cost, user-friendly point-of-care diagnostic system for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

The system uses a smartphone-enabled platform that uses a fluorescence-responsive small molecule to help detect the Alzheimer’s biomarker amyloid-β (Aβ).

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss, cognitive impairment, and behavioral impairment.

Central to its pathology is the misfolding and aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ), which self-assembles into fibrils and deposits as extracellular plaques that trigger neurotoxic cascades leading to synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration.

The National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association Framework identifies Aβ, tau, and neurodegeneration as essential biomarkers for the definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood.

An early biomarker

According to the Department of Science and Technology, Aβ pathology is an early biomarker specific to Alzheimer’s disease, making Aβ a more reliable diagnostic indicator.

“Although positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging provide valuable diagnostic information, their high cost, need for specialized infrastructure, technical expertise, and limited availability limit widespread use. Blood tests targeting Aβ and tau have shown promising alternatives, but are expensive and complex. These limitations highlight the need for simple, sensitive, and scalable diagnostic platforms capable of timely and accurate Aβ diagnosis.”

Researchers have developed a smart fluorescence lifetime-responsive probe that enables highly selective, sensitive, and differential detection of Aβ fibrils (Aβf) via on-fluorescence and distinct lifetime signatures.

“Upon interaction with Aβ, a small molecule called TZ-48 undergoes changes in fluorescence intensity that are captured and quantified using a dedicated smartphone app. This enables rapid and user-friendly detection with potential applications in disease screening and staging,” the department said.

Robust detection

Fluorescence imaging microscopy has emerged as a powerful imaging method because the fluorescence lifetime is largely independent of probe concentration and photobleaching, enabling robust biomarker detection and increasing diagnostic accuracy.

A team of researchers including Krithi K. Bhagavath, Madhu Ramesh, Yogendra Kumar, Sabyasachi Mandal, Hiriyakanavar Ila, and Thimmaiah Govindaraju developed ADxFluor, a smartphone-integrated platform that utilizes the fluorescence response of TZ-48 for rapid and unbiased quantification of serum Aβ burden.

The system combines dual brain imaging, biofluid detection, and smartphone-based quantification of Aβ in biofluids, positioning it together with ADxFluor, a smartphone-integrated platform, as the foundation for next-generation smart diagnostics for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Published – 28 Aug 2026 20:36 IST