New research hub aims to harness quantum technology to improve early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s

A major new research hub involving UK DRI researchers and led by UCL and the University of Cambridge, aims to harness quantum technology to improve early diagnosis and treatment of disease.

The hub, called Q-BIOMED, is one of five quantum research hubs announced by Peter Kyle MP, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, supported by £160 million in funding.

The hub will exploit advances in quantum sensors capable of detecting cells and molecules, potentially orders of magnitude more sensitively than traditional diagnostic tests.

Dr Marc Aurel Busche is a collaborator on one of the hub’s four flagship programmes: focused on biomedical imaging. The programme builds on Dr Busche’s UK DRI Grand Challenge project which seeks to identify an early biomarker for Alzheimer’s using a brain scanning technique known as magnetoencephalography (MEG).

Traditional MEG technology is very precise, but it is also expensive, heavy, and not widely accessible. This new programme should advance this line of research by employing OPM-MEGs (Optically Pumped Magnetometers-MEGs).

OPM-MEGs utilise the quantum properties of alkali atoms to measure magnetic fields, offering several advantages. They are smaller, more portable, and allow participants to move freely while wearing them. This makes them more accessible and will also enable the researchers to study brain activity in individuals with Alzheimer’s in real-world settings, providing a more accurate picture of how brain activity changes as they move and perform various tasks.

Dr Busche explained:

"We are pioneering the use of quantum sensors to detect the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease. By leveraging advanced quantum technologies, such as optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs), we aim to identify subtle changes in brain activity that traditional sensors might miss. This approach has the potential to revolutionise early diagnosis, enabling timely intervention and improving outcomes for patients at risk of Alzheimer's. Our work could pave the way for functional biomarkers that facilitate early diagnosis and intervention.”

Find out more about the hub’s other flagship programmes on the UCL website.

Article published: 31 July 2024
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