Our NYU Abu Dhabi team started to work on the device for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease at the beginning of April. The project’s idea was a result of comprehensive research and conversation with professors from the university about what’s currently necessary for the field. It was also drawn from personal reflection as among our team members and friends on campus there are a lot of family cases of dementia. Seeing our family members struggle and the difficulties they face daily we wanted to address this issue. Having done the research we realized that many patients are diagnosed in the late stages of dementia and therefore implemented therapies are not as effective as they could be. A big part of optimizing our device and choosing the best design was talking with professors from the field. When designing our project our goal was to work on a device that is cheap (and therefore easily accessible for everyone), noninvasive, and allows for the detection of diseases in the early stages so patients can start therapies early on.
For our first meeting in the beginning of June, we contacted professor Mohammad Qasaimeh who directs the Advanced Microfluidics and Microdevices Laboratory (AMMLab) at NYU Abu Dhabi. His current research focuses on developing microfluidic and MEMS devices for biomedical applications and point-of-care diagnostics. During our meeting, we asked him about his research and his first thoughts about our project idea. We wanted to make sure that the device that we were planning to build is something that the fields need at this moment. Since he is working on a paper-based chip, he advised us to try this method. Because we could not find a way to functionalize gold nanoparticles on nitrocellulose base substances, we tried to find other substances on which we could functionalize them. We performed experiments on glass slides, plastic, and PDMS, and those experiments showed that glass has the highest absorbance value. However, in the future, we are looking into the possibility of implementing a paper-based approach which will further minimize the cost of the device. Professor was very optimistic about the project and offered his mentorship throughout the program. As he is working with paper-based chips professor Qasaimeh advised us to work on paper-based, point-of-care biosensors where liquid moves passively due to capillary forces.
One of the most important meetings we had in order to kickstart the project was with Mazin Magzoub whose research is closely related to our project. Professor Mazin is a biophysicist specializing in the development of novel methods for the delivery of antitumor agents and therapeutics for amyloid diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s and prion diseases). He advised us to focus on one functionality of the device instead of both detection and therapeutics, our original plan, as both are big challenges and there is no cure for Alzheimer's as of now. Professor Mazin suggested to center our project on early diagnosis–before the major symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease, such as memory loss are observed in a patient. Professor Magzoub also suggested that we should work on amyloid beta 42 as the concentration of this peptide is increased in the blood and CSF samples of patients with Alzhimer's disease. Moreover, it is more toxic than other amyloids. His advice was to start with detecting peptides in the samples and to determine the limiting concentration of peptides for the detection, which we have integrated into our project. As a professor who works in the field of Alzheimer’s and prion diseases, he was very positive about our project goal as such devices are highly desired and of huge interest in the pharmaceutics industry, helping us validate that initial idea had potential to go further.
To better understand and learn more about the prevalence and impact of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in the UAE, we reached out to 4get-me-not foundation. Founded by Desiree Vlekken in 2013 and based in Dubai, it is the only NGO in the UAE to raise awareness on AD. The foundation is responsible for organizing numerous seminars, educational events, memory cafes, and support groups.
The NYUAD iGEM team contacted Mr. Vlekken and after several conversations, we realized that Alzheimer's is highly stigmatized in teh UAE, changing the team's perspective on the disease in the country completely. It is important to notice that the NYUAD iGEM component is mostly composed of STEM students, therefore the social impact of AD can be sometimes overlooked. Talking to the 4get-me-not founder allowed us to better understand the problems patients and their families face in the UAE, a society where AD is highly stigmatized. Having those conversations and collaboration with the 4getmenot foundation, talking with people that have first-hand experience with Alzheimer patients and their families, we were even more motivated to come up with a project that is easily accessible and affordable so people from different social-economical, and geographical backgrounds can benefit from it. Moreover, it inspired us to destigmatize the diseases and include a seminar on Alzhaimer’s disease in our workshops for high school students from Cranleigh High School Abu Dhabi.
As the life expectancy in the UAE and the incidence of AD increases, it is important to understand the current situation in the region in order to properly address the situation and develop a product that suits the needs of the region. As part of our collaboration with 4get-me-not, the NYUAD iGEM team was invited to take part in the following events: Alzheimer’s Stories in Dubai and Beginner’s Tournament in Sharjah. The aim of these events were to gather patients, their families, and agents of change to contribute in spreading awareness about AD.
Could you tell us more about the importance of taking care of patients with Alzheimer's disease?
"Patients with Alzheimer's disease are not like any other patients with dementia. Caring for a person with AD can be challenging. For one they may stop recognizing the person who is caring for them, can have trouble sharing their desires and feelings, and may become completely dependent upon their caregiver for daily activities such as eating, using the restroom, and bathing.
Because there is currently no cure for AD, patients rely on the care management provided by nurses in both clinical and home-based settings. Nurses provide direct care to patients, helping to relieve the burden placed on family members and other caregivers. An important component of Alzheimer's and dementia nursing care involves education and communication about treatments, progression of symptoms, interventions, and coordination of services with other specialists."
What pushed you and inspired you to start the foundation? What does the work look like? What events do you organize?
"My Dad had AD and passed away last year from its complications. Then 3-months later, my mom who was fulltime caregiver to my Dad also passed away. My father-in-law is also diagnosed with Parkinsons and AD but stable for now. They are the inspiration of 4get-me-not. Our work is providing social support for seniors who are 60 years old and above and their caregivers for quality of life and AD prevention. We produced over 100 social events since 2013 which are senior-friendly and Cognitive based activities from resources of WHO EMRO, Alzheimer's Disease International and The Lancet Report."
What is your experience with working with Alzheimer's patients and their families in the UAE?
"AD is so stigmatized that adult children of parents who have received an Alzheimer's diagnosis will understandably have their own difficulties when adjusting to the diagnosis, like the stress that comes along with the role reversal. This means that they must take on their parents' responsibilities, which can lead to feelings that range from denial to guilt. AD patients with living partners are more cooperative whenever we have activities. Thankfully with 9 years advocating for AD, we're slowly breaking down the stigma and more families are slowly coming forward to involve their loved ones with AD with 4get-me-not."
To gain a better understanding about the realities of being affected by Alzheimer's Disease through a diagnosed family member, we interviewed students in our university on their experiences. Through these interviews, we can better empathize as it truly sheds an emotional and personal light onto the problem, making it feel ever more important to tackle it.
Find the interview videos below or on the iGEM video universe: Interview 1, Interview 2, Interview 3, Interview 4.