Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) lacks a validated blood-based diagnostic, and the field is increasingly moving from single-molecule markers toward integrative, multi-component signatures. Here we present a liquid-biopsy strategy that transduces disease-dependent serum-nanoparticle interactions into a learnable near-infrared spectral phenotype. A sensor array of twelve DNA-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) chiralities, functionalized with (GT)6 ssDNA coupled with a deep learning model was tested on serum from 20 ALS patients and 19 age- and sex-matched controls (n = 39, TargetALS). Our multiplexed sensor design (12 SWCNT chiralities) and data acquisition strategy based on excitation-emission matrices acquired at three timepoints (0, 6, 24 h) was conceived to maximize sensor carried information. Indeed, we show that the array generates partially independent temporal dynamics across chiralities governed primarily by tube diameter. To decode this multiplexed, time-resolved signal, we trained a dual-objective convolutional autoencoder that jointly optimizes reconstruction and classification, achieving 84.6% cross-validated accuracy (AUC = 0.87). Selected latent features were reproducible across an independent same-subject experimental batch and correlated with serum neurofilament light chain, linking the spectral phenotype to a clinically relevant neurodegeneration marker. Mass spectrometry supported a molecular basis for discrimination, revealing an ALS-biased protein corona enriched in adaptive-immune and inflammatory proteins. Together, these results establish proof of principle that time-resolved, multi-chirality SWCNT spectral sensing can compress complex serum composition into a reproducible near-infrared biomarker signature for ALS.

Read the original article on medRxiv

Elevated HbA1c is associated with advanced brain age in severe obesity

- Posted by system in English

Analysis of the Text: Significance, Importance, Timeliness, and Relevance

The text explores the association between brain-predicted age and cardiometabolic risk factors in individuals with severe obesity. The topic is significant because it sheds light on the relationship between brain aging and obesity-related health conditions, which could have implications for disease management and drug discovery.

Significance

The study's focus on severe obesity is timely, given the rising prevalence of obesity worldwide and its impact on cognitive decline and mortality. The use of brain-predicted age as a machine learning biomarker is innovative and provides a new perspective on brain aging. The findings have the potential to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying brain-aging and obesity, which could inform the development of targeted interventions.

Importance

The study's results highlighting the association between high HbA1c levels and accelerated brain aging in individuals with severe obesity are important. This association suggests that managing blood glucose levels may be critical in preventing or slowing down brain aging in this population. The lack of association between BMI, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia and brain aging in severe obesity is also noteworthy, as it contradicts previous assumptions about the role of these factors in brain aging.

Timeliness

The study's focus on severe obesity is particularly relevant given the growing concern about obesity-related health conditions. The use of machine learning biomarkers, such as brain-predicted age, is a timely innovation in the field of neuroscience, as it holds promise for identifying individuals at risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Relevance

The study's findings have relevance for disease management and drug discovery in several areas:

  1. Disease prevention: The association between high HbA1c levels and accelerated brain aging highlights the importance of managing blood glucose levels in preventing or slowing down brain aging.
  2. Targeted interventions: The study's results suggest that interventions aimed at reducing HbA1c levels may be effective in preventing or slowing down brain aging in individuals with severe obesity.
  3. Personalized medicine: The use of brain-predicted age as a machine learning biomarker could enable personalized medicine approaches, where treatments are tailored to an individual's specific risk profile.

Relationship between Items

The study's findings are related to each other in several ways:

  1. Brain-predicted age: The use of brain-predicted age as a machine learning biomarker is a key aspect of the study, which enables the identification of individuals at risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
  2. Cardiometabolic risk factors: The study examines the association between brain-predicted age and cardiometabolic risk factors, such as high HbA1c levels, BMI, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, which are known to increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
  3. Severe obesity: The study's focus on severe obesity is significant, given the rising prevalence of obesity worldwide and its impact on cognitive decline and mortality.
  4. Machine learning biomarkers: The use of machine learning biomarkers, such as brain-predicted age, is a timely innovation in the field of neuroscience, which holds promise for identifying individuals at risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Usefulness for Disease Management or Drug Discovery

The study's findings are useful for disease management and drug discovery in several areas:

  1. Disease prevention: The association between high HbA1c levels and accelerated brain aging highlights the importance of managing blood glucose levels in preventing or slowing down brain aging.
  2. Targeted interventions: The study's results suggest that interventions aimed at reducing HbA1c levels may be effective in preventing or slowing down brain aging in individuals with severe obesity.
  3. Personalized medicine: The use of brain-predicted age as a machine learning biomarker could enable personalized medicine approaches, where treatments are tailored to an individual's specific risk profile.

Original Information beyond the Obvious

The study provides original information beyond the obvious in several areas:

  1. Association between high HbA1c levels and accelerated brain aging: The study's findings highlight the association between high HbA1c levels and accelerated brain aging, which has not been previously reported in the context of severe obesity.
  2. Limited agreement between ENIGMA and Pyment models: The study's results show limited agreement between ENIGMA and Pyment models in estimating brain-predicted age in individuals with severe obesity, which has implications for the development of machine learning biomarkers.
  3. Lack of association between BMI, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia and brain aging: The study's findings contradict previous assumptions about the role of BMI, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia in brain aging, highlighting the complexity of these relationships.

Read the original article on medRxiv


Please, help us continue to provide valuable information: