Blood sensor targets early detection of liver fibrosis
A South Korea-led team reported a gold nanoparticle electrochemical biosensor that detects early liver fibrosis from small blood samples.
By Priya Raghavan · Science Reporter
2 min read
Researchers in South Korea have developed a gold nanoparticle-based electrochemical biosensor designed to detect an early marker of liver fibrosis from a small blood sample. The work matters because the team says it could help identify liver abnormalities through blood analysis rather than a painful tissue biopsy.
The project was led by Professor Jinsung Park of the Department of Biomechatronic Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University. Park worked with Professor Pil-Soo Sung of the College of Medicine at the Catholic University of Korea and Professor Si-Hyun Bae, president of Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, according to the research report.
The team described the device as an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor. According to the researchers, it can accurately detect early-stage liver fibrosis, a condition in which the liver gradually becomes hardened.
Liver fibrosis can develop as the organ responds to chronic injury or disease. The findings reported by Park and his collaborators focus on the possibility of spotting early signs through blood, using only a small amount of sample material.
The researchers present the work as a collaboration between engineering and medicine. Sungkyunkwan University’s biomechatronic engineering group contributed to the sensor development, while medical researchers from the Catholic University of Korea and Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital were part of the joint effort.
The study was published in the Chemical Engineering Journal. The report identifies the biosensor as a tool aimed at early detection, rather than a treatment for liver disease.
The main claim from the research team is that the sensor can measure an early liver fibrosis signal accurately through a blood-based test. If developed further for medical use, that approach could reduce reliance on tissue biopsy in cases where clinicians need to check for liver hardening, according to the team’s description of the findings.
The publication adds to a broader push to use biosensors for earlier and less invasive disease detection. In this case, the researchers say the device combines a small blood sample with electrochemical measurement to detect signs linked to early liver fibrosis.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.