Ground-Breaking and Novel Assays to Help Assess Organ and Tissue Damage in Transplant and COVID-19 Patients
By HospiMedica International staff writers Posted on 22 Mar 2022 |
A new collaboration will expand access to blood and urine-based cell-free DNA detection methods that will provide healthcare practitioners with highly accurate, non-invasive tools to identify and monitor for infection, rejection, and severity of organ damage in transplant and COVID-19 patients.
Eurofins Viracor, LLC (Lees Summit, MO, USA) has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, USA) to commercialize several ground-breaking and novel assays aimed at transforming the clinical management of COVID-19 and transplant patients impacted from tissue damage and infections. Surgical biopsy is critical in tracking damage of COVID-19 in the body, but the procedure can be painful and costly to the patient. Researchers at Cornell have developed an alternative to biopsy – a novel, noninvasive blood test to measure organ injury from COVID-19. The test uses circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to gauge the damage that COVID-19 inflicts on cells, tissues and organs.
Additionally, cfDNA is a highly versatile analyte for monitoring the most critical complications of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for many blood disorders and cancers, including Graft-Versus-Host Disease, infection, graft failure and disease relapse. The agreement between Eurofins and Cornell will expand access to an innovative blood-based cfDNA methylation sequencing assay for early detection or prediction of major complications related to allogeneic HCT, thus improving the care of stem cell transplant patients. In another application, Eurofins intends to commercialize the novel cfDNA test used to identify the presence of urinary tract infections in kidney transplant patients and quantify the degree of damage to the kidney and bladder.
Related Links:
Eurofins Viracor, LLC
Cornell University
Latest COVID-19 News
- Low-Cost System Detects SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Hospital Air Using High-Tech Bubbles
- World's First Inhalable COVID-19 Vaccine Approved in China
- COVID-19 Vaccine Patch Fights SARS-CoV-2 Variants Better than Needles
- Blood Viscosity Testing Can Predict Risk of Death in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
- ‘Covid Computer’ Uses AI to Detect COVID-19 from Chest CT Scans
- MRI Lung-Imaging Technique Shows Cause of Long-COVID Symptoms
- Chest CT Scans of COVID-19 Patients Could Help Distinguish Between SARS-CoV-2 Variants
- Specialized MRI Detects Lung Abnormalities in Non-Hospitalized Long COVID Patients
- AI Algorithm Identifies Hospitalized Patients at Highest Risk of Dying From COVID-19
- Sweat Sensor Detects Key Biomarkers That Provide Early Warning of COVID-19 and Flu
- Study Assesses Impact of COVID-19 on Ventilation/Perfusion Scintigraphy
- CT Imaging Study Finds Vaccination Reduces Risk of COVID-19 Associated Pulmonary Embolism
- Third Day in Hospital a ‘Tipping Point’ in Severity of COVID-19 Pneumonia
- Longer Interval Between COVID-19 Vaccines Generates Up to Nine Times as Many Antibodies
- AI Model for Monitoring COVID-19 Predicts Mortality Within First 30 Days of Admission
- AI Predicts COVID Prognosis at Near-Expert Level Based Off CT Scans