Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have discovered an important advance in molecular diagnostics in relation to cardiovascular health. The research team, led by Prof. Dipankar Bandyopadhyay, developed a methodology that improves the detection of cholesterol and triglycerides. These are two important biomarkers that indicate the sound functioning of the cardiovascular system. Their work has been documented in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics recently.

The research team involved includes Dr. Mitali Basak and Prof. Harshal B. Nemade along with others who have used high nanotechnology in the testing of cholesterol and triglyceride levels through the use of nanoscale bimetallic structures along with Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering for a detection system that can speed up results as well as their accuracy. The bimetallic structures are composed of silver-shelled gold nanorods, which are just 10,000 times thinner than a human hair. These nanostructures enable the high-fidelity detection of cholesterol and triglycerides in human blood, offering an innovative solution to the limitations of traditional testing methods.

Metabolic biomolecules such as cholesterol and triglycerides are crucial for maintaining cardiovascular health. Cholesterol is transported to cells by high-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins for various metabolic functions. However, when the levels of these lipoproteins are imbalanced, such as having high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL, this can lead to the formation of arterial plaques, thereby increasing the risk of hypertension, blood clots, and ischemia. Triglycerides are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol during digestion, which are transported by very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) to cells. High levels of triglycerides are associated with a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and fatty liver disease.

Timely detection and chronic tracking of cholesterol and triglyceride levels are necessary for preventing such health complications. Conventional lipid profile tests, although reliable, are invariably limited by their requirement for a lab setting, lack of portability, and sometimes time-consuming result delivery. The IIT Guwahati research based on nanotechnology with molecular detection puts forth a point-of-care device capable of providing faster and more accurate results.

The method of approach in this research uses silver-shelled gold nanorods for enhancing the possibility of Raman spectroscopy, a technique that enables measuring vibrational frequencies of molecules to detect specific compounds. The concept has been designed to provide bimetallic hybrid nanorods that will achieve plasmonic resonance between the two metals, with as a result, better resolution in their spectroscopy compared to silver or gold nanoparticles alone. These nanorods are combined with two different Raman-active receptors then immobilized by enzymes—cholesterol oxidase and lipase—to detect various concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides simultaneously.

This new technique greatly enhances the sensitivity and accuracy of cholesterol and triglyceride detection. Besides, the researchers successfully validated the performance of their silver-gold nanorods through the experiments and advanced simulations conducted. The coupling of silver and gold in these nanorods creates enhanced light interaction properties known as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which amplifies the signals detected by Raman spectroscopy. This results in a signal enhancement of 20 to 50 times compared to gold nanorods alone, making these bimetallic nanorods highly effective for use in nano-enabled SERS applications.

Prof. Dipankar Bandyopadhyay, who led the research, has expressed the possible impact of this work on the future of healthcare. “The advent of low-cost, portable Raman spectroscopy devices could enable real-time monitoring of cholesterol and triglyceride levels at the patient’s location.”. This innovation can play a very important role in reducing the cases of cardiovascular diseases before it reaches an acute stage, offering early diagnosis and better management of these diseases. Additionally, researchers believe that developing these next-generation sensors will minimize India’s reliance on imported diagnostic tools, allowing high-precision testing to become more accessible and affordable.

The work of the research team is expected to revolutionize molecular diagnostics in terms of the speed, sensitivity, and portability of cholesterol and triglyceride testing. It could greatly improve patient outcomes and contribute to the global fight against heart disease by enabling the earlier detection of cardiovascular diseases, especially at the point of care. This project’s success is a testament to the potential of nanotechnology in improving healthcare solutions, promising better diagnostics in the future that are more effective and accessible.