New Liverpool-led biosensors with AI offer low-cost solution for Alzheimer’s diagnosis worldwide

PhD researcher and co-author Sudhaunsh Deshpande

(IN BRIEF) Scientists at the University of Liverpool have developed two new handheld blood test devices that could make Alzheimer’s disease testing faster, cheaper, and more widely accessible. By combining polymer-based biosensors with AI, the devices can detect the Alzheimer’s biomarker p-tau181 in blood samples with accuracy close to gold-standard laboratory methods but at a fraction of the cost. One sensor uses “plastic antibodies” on a porous gold surface, while another is built on a standard printed circuit board, both linked to a low-cost reader and app for instant AI-driven analysis. This innovation addresses a major global challenge by enabling testing not just in hospitals but also in GP surgeries and low-resource settings worldwide. Supported by a UK–Japan research collaboration, the work reflects WHO’s call for more accessible diagnostic tools and could transform how Alzheimer’s and dementia are diagnosed and managed.

(PRESS RELEASE) LIVERPOOL, 1-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Researchers at the University of Liverpool have unveiled a promising breakthrough in Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics, developing a low-cost blood test that could enable earlier and more accessible detection worldwide. The innovative handheld devices, which combine molecularly imprinted polymer biosensors with artificial intelligence (AI), can measure Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers in blood with accuracy comparable to advanced hospital-based methods but at a fraction of the cost.

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, currently affects more than 55 million people globally. Existing diagnostic methods are highly reliable but remain limited to specialised hospital laboratories, where they are expensive, complex, and often inaccessible. This restricts early detection and treatment, particularly in community healthcare settings, GP surgeries, and low- and middle-income countries where resources are scarce. The Liverpool-led approach aims to remove these barriers by creating portable, affordable, and user-friendly testing platforms.

In one of the studies, the team engineered a sensor with “plastic antibodies” affixed to a porous gold surface, enabling detection of extremely small concentrations of phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau181)—a key biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s—in blood samples. The results aligned closely with gold-standard laboratory tests, demonstrating both reliability and versatility across various blood preparations.

In a second study, the researchers designed a sensor built on a standard printed circuit board, commonly used in everyday electronics. Enhanced with a novel chemical coating, this device successfully detected the same biomarker and distinguished between healthy individuals and Alzheimer’s patients. Its performance came close to that of SIMOA, the high-end clinical test, while being vastly more affordable.

Both sensors are linked to a low-cost reader and a web-based application that leverages AI to instantly analyse results. This removes the need for specialist training and allows tests to be conducted in a wide range of healthcare environments, from NHS clinics to remote rural health centres.

Dr Sanjiv Sharma, Principal Investigator at the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology and lead on the UK–Japan (MRC–AMED) research project, emphasised the broader vision: “Our goal is to make Alzheimer’s testing as accessible as checking blood pressure or blood sugar. By combining low-cost sensors with affordable electronics and artificial intelligence, we can provide accurate results for multiple biomarkers in just minutes—anywhere in the world.”

The World Health Organization has called for more decentralised and affordable diagnostic tools for brain diseases. These Liverpool-led advances bring that goal within reach, offering hope for earlier detection and improved care for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia globally.

The studies were published in Advanced Healthcare Materials and ACS Sensors.

About the two studies

Advanced Healthcare Materials

Redox-Active Polyphenol Red Molecularly Imprinted Polymers on Porous Gold Electrodes for Ultrasensitive, AI-Assisted Detection of Alzheimer’s Biomarkers in Undiluted Biofluids

ACS Sensors

Low-Cost Polyphenol−Polypyrrole Molecularly Imprinted Sensor for Point-of-Care Alzheimer’s Detection

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SOURCE: University of Liverpool