Biosensors for Parkinson's Disease: Where Are We Now, and Where Do We Need to Go?

Parkinson's Disease is the second most common neurological disease in the United States, yet there is no cure, no pinpointed cause, and no definitive diagnostic procedure. Parkinson's is typically diagnosed when patients present with motor symptoms such as slowness of movement and tremors. However, none of these are specific to Parkinson's, and a confident diagnosis of Parkinson's is typically only achieved when 60-80% of dopaminergic neurons are no longer functioning, at which point much of the damage to the brain is irreversible.

Aptasensor for Detection of Influenza-A in Human Saliva.

Access to low-cost, rapid, individualized diagnostics at point-of-care and point-of-need is vital to minimize the impact of highly infectious viruses, such as influenza. Herein, a biosensor for detecting hemagglutinin (HA), an abundant capsid protein in H1N1 viruses, is demonstrated. A gold working electrode was functionalized with a thiol-modified, HA-binding aptamer derivatized with a methylene blue modification for redox reporting.