Degenerative diseases have become a leading cause of death globally. World Health Organization (WHO) data from 2008 shows that out of 57 million deaths worldwide, 36 million, or nearly two-thirds, were caused by degenerative diseases.

Degenerative diseases also claim lives at a younger age. According to WHO, deaths due to degenerative diseases are expected to continue rising worldwide, with the greatest increases occurring in middle-income and poor countries.

Based on data from the Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) in 2018, there appears to be an epidemiological transition over the past 5 years (2013-2018), with deaths from degenerative diseases increasing while deaths from infectious diseases decrease.

In terms of scientific and technological development, degenerative diseases can be prevented by developing and implementing early detection systems using medical equipment and sensors. These devices are used to detect biomarkers produced by the body that are associated with degenerative diseases.

Detection of degenerative diseases
Addressing these issues, the Sensor and Environmental Technology research group led by Dr. rer nat Ganden Supriyanto MSc has developed a photometric sensor based on metal nanoparticles to detect degenerative diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

“Many research results have shown that the level of sialic acid in the serum of cancer patients is generally higher than in normal individuals. This increase is found in various types of cancer, including malignant melanoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, urogenital tract cancer, digestive tract cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, urea cancer, and leukemia,” he said on Friday (30/7/21).

Cancer biomarker research
Furthermore, several studies have revealed that the increase in sialic acid levels in serum correlates with the severity of cancer and the size of tumors. High sialic acid levels in the serum of cancer patients can be used as a signal for the presence of cancer in the body.

“Therefore, sialic acid is highly potential as a biomarker for cancer. Biomarkers for degenerative diseases can be generated in the body in blood serum, saliva, urine, and exhaled breath gas,” added the head of the research group.

Ganden explained that the reaction of silver nanoparticle-chitosan with sialic acid at pH 6 produces absorption peaks at a wavelength of 563 nm (nanometers). The developed photometric sensor can detect sialic acid in the concentration range of 0.007 to 0.57 millimolar (mM) with a detection limit of 0.009 mM.

“The accuracy and precision values of the sensor are 93.35 to 101.47 percent and 2.27 to 6.63 percent, respectively. This method has also been successfully tested for the analysis of sialic acid in blood serum samples with a recovery percentage of 98.84 to 105.2 percent,” he explained.

Diabetes biomarker research
Ganden stated that the research group is also developing early detection of diabetes using acetone biomarkers in exhaled breath gas. Iconic biomarkers for diabetes generally include blood glucose, methyl glyoxal, and HbA1c.

Several research findings, he said, have shown that the acetone level in the exhaled breath gas of diabetes patients is generally higher at (126±30) parts per billion by volume (ppbv), whereas in normal individuals it is (28±4) ppbv. In addition, the increase in acetone levels is reported to be directly proportional to the increase in blood glucose levels.

“The average acetone level in the urine of diabetes patients is 555.6 mg/L (milligrams per liter) compared to an average acetone level of only 20 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) in normal individuals. Based on these research results, it can be concluded that acetone can be used as a biomarker in diabetes detection,” he explained.

Ganden elaborated that the reaction of silver nanoparticle-L-cysteine with acetone at pH 5 produces absorption peaks at a wavelength of 585 nm. The developed photometric sensor can detect acetone in the concentration range of 0 to 8 mg/L with a detection limit of 0.6 mg/L. The accuracy and precision values of the sensor are 93.21 to 104.85 percent and 2.74 to 3.82 percent, respectively.

Future focus
Ganden revealed that future research will focus on other types of degenerative diseases using different types of nanoparticles and capping agents. Sensors that have shown promising results will be further developed into prototype sensor devices.

“These could be in the form of sensor sticks in lateral flow immunoassay format or simple photometric sensors with digital readings,” he concluded.

Universitas Airlangga (Unair) is one of the top universities in Indonesia that encourages its academic community to continually contribute to society. To learn more about the achievements of Unair’s students and alumni, visit the website unair.ac.id. (*)

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