Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), led by Prof. Dipankar Bandyopadhyay from the Centre for Nanotechnology and Department of Chemical Engineering, have developed a groundbreaking method to enhance the detection of cholesterol and triglycerides using nanotechnology.
This innovation integrates Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) with bimetallic silver-gold nanorods, which are 10,000 times thinner than human hair, to offer high-fidelity detection of blood biomarkers.
The research, published in the renowned journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics, introduces a novel technique that significantly improves the precision and sensitivity of cholesterol and triglyceride testing. Co-authored by Dr. Mitali Basak, Prof. Dipankar Bandyopadhyay, and Prof. Harshal B. Nemade, the study brings hope for faster, more reliable blood lipid detection that can be used at the point of care.
Cholesterol and triglycerides are essential for cardiovascular health, but imbalances in these biomolecules can lead to severe conditions like atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, pancreatitis, and type 2 diabetes. While traditional lipid tests are reliable, they are often lab-dependent and time-consuming. The new approach addresses these limitations by using bimetallic nanostructures – silver-coated gold nanorods – which combine the properties of both metals to create a more powerful diagnostic tool.
These silver-gold nanorods enhance light interaction properties, known as localised surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), amplifying signals 20 to 50 times more effectively than gold nanorods alone. The research team also linked these nanorods to Raman active receptors and enzymes, allowing for the concurrent detection of both cholesterol and triglycerides.
Prof. Dipankar Bandyopadhyay explains the significance of the development saying, “The advent of low-cost and portable Raman spectroscopy devices opens the possibility of using these sensors for real-time monitoring of HDL, LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides at the patient’s location. This could help prevent cardiovascular diseases before they even occur or at their acute stage."
With this advancement, IIT Guwahati's researchers have paved the way for creating an ultrafast, high-sensitivity point-of-care detection kit that could revolutionise how cardiovascular diseases are detected and managed. This research has the potential to enable earlier intervention and improve healthcare outcomes by allowing patients to undergo on-site, real-time testing.
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