Aptamers:
- Small molecules binding to specific targets like proteins, carbohydrates, and live cells with high affinity.
Role of Aptamers in Cancer:
- Cancer cells exhibit abnormal levels of specific proteins.
- These proteins can be used for:
- Cancer detection.
- Localization of cancer cells.
- Therapy targeting.
- Aptamers can target these proteins due to their high specificity and binding ability.
Contribution of IIT Delhi:
- Fabrication of DNA Aptamers:
- Targets prostate cancer cell surface proteins.
- Acts as a sensing element in biosensors due to:
- Small size (~2 nm).
- High affinity and stability.
- Conjugated with drugs for treating prostate cancer.
- Advantages:
- Smaller size (~1/5th of antibodies).
- Enhanced functionality for photonic biosensors and drug delivery.
Potential Applications:
- Cancer Detection:
- Robust diagnostic tools, especially for low-resource settings.
- Drug Delivery:
- Aptamers conjugated with cancer treatment drugs.
- Point-of-Care Diagnostics:
- Low-cost, efficient in vitro diagnostics.
Photonic Chip-based Spectrometric Biosensor
Features:
- Portable, lightweight, quick response.
- High sensitivity for pathogen detection.
- Based on Guided Mode Resonance (GMR):
- Uses etched patterns and sensing layers with light waves for precision.
Advantages:
- Reusable chips.
- Minimal sample volume required.
- Rapid pathogen detection.
- Useful in food and health industries.
Technology Transfer:
- Technologies developed by IIT Delhi transferred to private companies and startups.
- Supported by MeitY schemes like:
- TIDE: Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs.
- SAMRIDH: Startup Accelerator for Product Innovation.
- GENESIS: Gen-Next Support for Startups.
Reference: RS