Revolutionary new tool detects signs of Motor Neuron Disease in patient tissue

We have developed a new approach for detecting signs of Motor Neuron Disease (MND) in tissue samples. This tool, known as an "aptamer," has been previously used for cancer diagnostics and now shows promise in early MND detection. Published in Acta Neuropathologica, the study highlights the aptamer's increased accuracy in identifying MND at its earliest stages, potentially enabling earlier intervention.

Collaborating with international MND researchers, the team describe how the RNA aptamer works, offering a substantial improvement over traditional antibody approaches. By tagging abnormal protein clumps of protein with small RNA molecules, this tool achieves greater precision and sensitivity, crucial for the detection of early pathology.

Unlike antibodies, which are produced biologically and require the use of animals, aptamers are synthesised in the laboratory, offering a more cost-effective and reliable alternative. Dr Mathew Horrocks, senior author of the study, said: This is the first time that our TDP-43 aptamer has been used in human tissue, and we’re excited by its ability to detect a pathological form of the protein that has so far been difficult to characterise.

Dr Rebecca Saleeb, a Lady Edith Wolfson Junior Non-Clinical Research Fellow for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and author on the paper, said: When first applying our aptamer technology to detecting ALS-associated “aggregates” in post-mortem tissue, it was particularly exciting to find we were able to detect earlier forms of the aggregates than we have previously seen. In particular, we observed these in regions of the brain for which symptoms had not yet presented. We are now keen to explore how this probe could be applied to detecting aggregates in patient tissue.

The research involved collaborators from the University of Aberdeen, Columbia University, New York, and the Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy. The work was funded by Target ALS.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-024-02705-1