Development of nanostructured biosensors for the diagnosis of mental disorders biomarkers

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD), or simply depression, is a serious disorder that affects approximately 17% of the world's population at some point in live, resulting in major social and economic consequences. MDD is a disorder that manifests with symptoms at the psychological, behavioral and physiological levels caused by interactions between a genetic predisposition and some environmental factors. According to the World Health Organization, depression affects 280 million people worldwide and more than 700,000 people die by suicide every year, making it the fourth leading cause of death in young people aged 15 to 29. The most important problem is the lack of tools for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of mental disorders. This project proposes the development of nanostructured biosensors for rapid and intelligent detection of the depression biomarker BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in non-invasive saliva samples. The biosensors will be based on antibodies with electrochemical transduction in which nanostructured films will be used as a matrix for the immobilization of biomolecules and thus improve the analytical performance. The analytical features of the biosensors will be evaluated using the standard solution of the biomarker BDNF in buffer solution and saliva. Due to features such as low detection limit, analysis time, miniaturization and portability of the instrument, combined with ease of use and non-invasive sampling, this analytical tool has potential for detecting the depression biomarker BDNF in saliva. This project is expected to provide interesting tools for new reliable sensory platforms for point-of-care diagnostic devices for depression prevention and control using biomarkers.