Current and Novel Strategies for Biomarkers Detection in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Future Graphene-Based Applications

Abstract

Scientific progress has significantly reduced pandemic death causes, thus progressively increasing life expectancy. This achievement forced researchers to face the main problem related to an aging population: the occurrence of neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs). Unfortunately, today only symptomatic drugs are available to delay the disease progression of NDDs. Moreover, the specificity and selectivity of the current clinical diagnosis does not allow an early disease detection for a prompt clinical intervention before symptoms onset. Therefore, part of the research is now focusing on two main aspects: i) find out new selective biomarkers, ii) detect biomarkers in body fluids with more sensitive and specific technological tools. In particular, in the last decade graphene has raised great interest thanks to its unique chemical properties, easy availability, biocompatibility and low cost for the synthesis of electrochemical and optical sensors-biosensors.
Here we report some of the most relevant new biomarkers under investigation and the new graphene tools that could be potentially used to improve NDDs early diagnosis. Despite further investigations are needed before a useful clinical employment of such new nanomaterials, promising positive results are expected in the next future.